Cook Wanted
by UnaRJ
Summary: She is twenty three, over-qualified, under paid and basically bored stiff. An ad in the paper looks promising, & she applies. But when she meets the family, head-strong Bella gets a little flustered. Really, who could resist? EB/AH/AU/M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note; **I came up with this idea for a story a few weeks ago and have been working on it ever since. Bella's thoughts are in italics. I just hope you will enjoy it.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks to NatalieRB and all she does to help me.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight, but the story and its characters own me.

**Prologue**

My name is Bella. Bella Swan. I moved to Seattle only six months ago from Phoenix.

The move from Phoenix was actually a good idea. I have no intention of going back, only for visits. I need my space to grow up and be independent. I feel like I have been wrapped in cotton wool for too long. Everything I did was easy for me. When I finished High School I decided to take up catering as I did most of the cooking at home anyway. Mom taught me the basics and then when I was given a cook book for Christmas one year and I was hooked. By the time I got to Catering College and the teachers were up to speed as to what level I was at, I was put into the year above. So you see it was all easy.

Seattle was just far enough away that my parents didn't freak out about it. I found this job the day after arriving in Seattle and found an apartment the day after. See told you it was easy. But now that I 've settled and really want to stay, I need to start looking for another job. Was that going to be just as easy?

Love, that wasn't easy. I had one 'boyfriend' in High School. That never got further than the odd kiss and holding hands awkwardly. Oh, yes and he carried my books for me. That seemed to be the signal for all other boys to keep their distance. After we broke up I just couldn't be bothered any more. I wanted to do something with my life. Have a career and be good at it. So that is where my life is, for now.

* * *

**Authors note;** CH'YEAH. Like it? Love it? Want some more of it?

Then review, my lovies.

KISS KISS.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note; **So here we are with the first part of the story. Bella's thoughts are in italics. As the story progresses there will also be Edward POV.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for your help and encouragement.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight, but I love the characters.

**COOK WANTED**

Tuesday

I decided to take my break now, as there was always a lull just before the lunchtime rush. I helped myself to a coffee and picked up a local paper someone had discarded. I made myself comfortable in the staff booth in the far left corner of the café and spread the paper out in front of me, flicking through to the 'Wanted' ads, I scanned down the list.

'_No, no, no, no, no, hang on, yes! This looks interesting.'_ Cook Wanted – Large family – must have necessary qualifications and experience. I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket, making sure no-one was within ear-shot, and dialled the number.

"Hello. Yes, I am ringing about the advert for a cook. My name is Bella, Bella Swan. Yes, tomorrow is fine. Ten is good for me. Yes, I have a pen. Thank you. I will see you tomorrow. Goodbye."

I have been looking for a while now; for a new job. At the moment I'm working as a 'short- order' cook in a little café. It doesn't exactly stretch me nor is it the job of my dreams. I'm simply over qualified. 'Beggars can't be choosers' mom said when I was in a quandary as to whether I should take the job or not when it was offered to me. And she was right. I had bills to pay and a truck that was becoming a mill stone around my neck. At the moment it's being stored in a friend's garage until I can get enough money together to get it back on the road.

Break over, I took myself back to the kitchen and thought about what I would say at the interview in the morning. My shift ended, finally. Today seemed to drag on a little too long. I got back to my apartment and picked out the clothes I wanted to wear in the morning. Nothing too dressy or too casual. No problem looking at my scant selection of clothes. _Maybe I'll be able to add to my wardrobe if I get this job._ I chose a pair of black slacks and a white shirt and sensible shoes. _That will do just_ _fine._ I gathered together my résumé, certificates and previous references and put them all in a yellow folder. I took a shower to wash away the days grime. The strawberry shampoo always made me smile. It had such an intense scent that I could just imagine real strawberries and lots of fresh cream.

After my shower I turned my attention to getting my hair dry. It was so long these days that it took half an hour finish the job. _Maybe I should think about having it cut shorter to make life a little easier for myself. And then again, maybe not._ I was so used to having it long I treated almost like a shield, something that I could hide my face behind whenever I felt insecure or when I blushed. Miss Confident in the kitchen but anything else, forget it.

Hair done, time to choose a book. Reading was one of my passions, apart from cooking and listening to music, modern or classic I wasn't fussy. _Pride and_ _Prejudice tonight._ I always liked to imagine what Mr Darcy actually looked like. His face changed every time I read the book. Reading was something I did to relax and unwind. A full stop at the end of the day.

Wednesday

I woke up at 6.00 am having had a good night's sleep. I made myself a light breakfast as I knew that my stomach would be churning later on during the interview. I rang up a local cab company and arranged for a cab to collect me at 7.00 Apparently the journey would take a couple of hours, so I hoped by starting out early I would get there with a little time to spare. Good time keeping is a must in the food industry. Hopefully I would set a good first impression. I dressed and brushed my hair one last time and tied it up into a high ponytail. Make up was not an option. Cooks don't wear make up, they have yet to invent heat and steam resistant make up. Anyway mom has always told me that I don't need any. 'You're beautiful as you are, Bella. A natural beauty.' Oh, yes the beauty from within stuff. Only trouble is it's the beauty on the outside that attracts the men in the first place! Do I sound bitter, maybe a little? My last date was with Ben back in High School. He was now married with a child on the way. I was still…single.

The cab arrived on time and I was ready. This could be the start of the rest of my life. Who knows, stranger things have happened. As I sat in the cab I realised that the time since I had moved here from Phoenix, only six months ago, and had never made a trip to Forks before. It was actually rather lovely. The weather helped. It was dry today and the sun had shooed away the grey clouds for a while. The sunlight shone through the leaves of the trees making the whole journey very relaxing. The cab driver explained that there were large areas of forest here with a good selection of wild animals. _No_ _doubt full of hunters as well, trying to bag themselves a Bambi as a_ _trophy._ The thoughts of hunters soon went out of my mind as we approached the house. It was huge and white with large windows and a large glass front door. The driver dropped me off at the beginning of the drive. The walk would actually help me to relax a little I explained to him. He wished me luck after I paid him.

The front garden was mostly laid to lawn with a sweeping flower bed leading up to the house. Majestic trees flanked the drive. All of it invited you up to the house. I finally reached the door and rang the bell. After a moment I thought that no one was in. Then after a few minutes more a woman opened the door to me.

"Hello, are you Bella?" she asked with a smile and bright blue eyes. She stood little taller than me, her light brown hair tied up in a chignon. She looked very smart in her black pleated skirt and white blouse. _Probably her uniform._

"Yes. I'm not too early am I?" I said hoping the answer would be a 'no'.

"Oh, no you're in good time. Please come in. My name is Angela and I am the house keeper for the family." She ushered me into the hallway and shut the door.

As I walked in my jaw almost hit the floor. The hallway was beautiful. Marble floors, _Italian no doubt,_ with a huge staircase, carpeted in cream and gold. Along the sides of the hall stood small tables, with crystal vases, full of vibrant flowers giving of a heady scent. We walked a short distance to a door on the right hand side. We made our way into what turned out to be Angela's office.

"Please take a seat, Bella. Now, do you have your résumé handy?" She asked as she reached out her hand across the desk to me.

I handed her the yellow file. She sat down at the desk and began to read it. I looked out of the window that was just opposite on the left hand side. I could see pretty blue plant pots scattered around a gravelled area. The pots were full of colourful flowers. _Someone here likes colour._

"Well, this is impressive," Angela began bringing my attention back into the room.

"How much notice would you have to give to your present employer?"

I was a little taken aback by the question. _We haven't actually talked yet!_ I looked at her and blinked. "I think he'd be happy with one weeks notice. He seems to have a constant supply of workers. I'm one that has stayed the longest."

"Good, the job is yours, Bella, if you want it?" She said with an eager smile.

I sat there for a moment trying to take in what had just happened. This was the shortest interview I had ever had. How could I say 'no'?

"Oh, yes. That would be wonderful." I answered trying not to sound too excited. I hoped I would get the job, but was this just a bit too easy?

She smiled at me seemingly very satisfied. "Now, I'll show you around the house and explain the job to you and then give you a chance to ask questions afterwards. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that sounds ideal."

The tour began in the kitchen. It was large and open plan with a breakfast room next to it. The kitchen had everything. Black granite work surfaces with beech wood units. It was all well organised and easy to move around in. There was a large window above the sink area and large double doors at the end of the room leading out on to the garden. The breakfast room was simply decorated with a large table to seat ten. As we made our way back to the hallway, Angela indicated the living, games, music and family rooms. She also showed me the formal dining room and two doors that led to offices.

Finally as we made our way up the stairs to the first floor, Angela began to explain the dynamics of the family. "You'll be working for Dr and Mrs Cullen. Dr Cullen is a Consultant at the hospital in Seattle. Mrs Cullen runs the family realty business and a home decorating service. Their eldest son, Emmett owns a car sales business and his fiancée, Rosalie a car repair business with Emmett. The only daughter, Alice, has her own designer label and has recently set up a Wedding Planning service. Jasper, her husband is a popular junior lawyer based in Seattle. In fact they all work in Seattle. The youngest son, Edward, is also a doctor. He works in the ICU department at the same hospital as his father." I felt a little dazed but all the information. _You can do_ _this Bella. This is the kind of challenge you've been looking for._

As we reached top of the stairs Angela indicated the family bedrooms plus two guest rooms. I would only have to worry about these rooms if someone was ill or if they specifically requested a meal to be brought up to their rooms. We walked down a smaller hallway and stood at the bottom of a small set of stairs.

"And this will be where you live, Bella." She said looking at me with a smile on her face.

"Me. Live here?"

"Yes, the job includes living quarters for you. Let me show you."

We went up the stairs to a small landing with three doors. One door on the right, and two doors on the left. At the end of the hallway was a picture window looking out onto the front drive and a forest to the right. She opened the door on the right. In the room was a small kitchen and dining area. The kitchen was sufficient and neatly set out. In the dining area, stood a small round table and two chairs. We made our way over to the door opposite. It was a good size living room, furnished with a couch, coffee table, TV and a bookcase. The last door Angela opened was the bedroom. It was gorgeous. It smelt like it had been freshly painted in white with pine furniture, a large four poster bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and a bedside table. Very pretty ditsy print curtains hung from the rail of the four poster and matching curtains hung at the window. An extravagant pale blue comforter lay on top of the bed. Angela opened an internal door in the bedroom to reveal a bathroom which included a four piece bathroom suite in white, pale blue tiled walls and white washed floorboards. All of it was perfect. I could not believe my luck.

"Well, what do you think? Mrs Cullen only recently finished decorating this room herself. She would like to decorate the other rooms too. Do you like it, Bella?"

"Most definitely! Mrs Cullen has a good eye for colour!"

"Do you think you will be happy here?" She asked.

"Oh, yes I think this will make a lovely home for me." I answered, a huge smile plastered across my face.

"Good, now let's go back downstairs and you can ask me any questions you might have."

We headed downstairs. I was still a little bit overwhelmed by the whole morning.

We sat back down in Angela's office. Angela explained that she would like me to move in at the weekend. She would arrange for my things to be brought over and arrange a car for me to use so that I could still get to work next week for my last couple of days.

"Is that okay, Bella?"

"More than okay. You are being very kind. Are you sure this is not too much trouble?"

"Not at all, Bella. Mrs Cullen would not have it any other way. I have worked for the family for ten years now and have never been happier. Their policy is that if you look after your staff then the staff will always work their best for you. And it usually works. I have a good feeling about you, Bella. You will enjoy working for the family as much as I do. Now, let me make a couple of calls to sort out details." I waited quietly.

"Right, the van will be at your address by 9.00am Saturday. Once you get here I will take you to the city house and show you round. There is a slightly different routine over there during the week but I will explain that Saturday. I will have two sets of keys ready for you as well. I will also give you the alarm codes so that you can come and go freely when you are not busy. I only usually work a couple of hours on Saturday's and Sunday's. So you're in charge the rest of the time. So, do you have any questions?"

I just sat and looked at her_. A weekend house and a city house. This is the sort_ of _challenge I like!_ She smiled realising that I was in shock.

"I'll arrange for a cab to take you home now. If you think of anything, please ring my number, any time. Would you like a drink before you leave?"

"Water please." Was all I could say.

The cab arrived to take me home a short time later. When I reached home the driver refused payment saying that the Cullen family had an account with his company. _Could this day get any better?_

I made my way up to my now very small looking apartment. I sat down and wrote out my resignation ready to take it into work later. I had to sit and think for a while after I got changed for work. There was so much to take in about the day. I would ring mom and dad later and let them know about the good news. I was sure that they would be proud of me.

As soon as I arrived at work I gave my boss the letter. He read it and looked a little disappointed. That was the first time he had shown any emotion about how happy he was with my work. He agreed to me leaving, he had no choice, and said I could leave on Friday. _Wow, this day is perfect!_ I rang Angela as soon as I could and she was just as pleased to hear the news. The rest of the day flew by as I kept my self as busy as possible.

Once I got home I started to pack. I only had to worry about packing my personal possessions so I would be done by Saturday morning. I went to bed with a smile on my face. I had landed on my feet.

The rest of the week went by very quickly as I counted down the hours in my head. By Friday all the packing was done. I got an envelope ready to return the keys to the agents. I got ready for bed and spent my last night in this apartment.

End of Chapter.

Authors note; So, what do you think so far? Don't worry, Edward will be turning up soon. Please review, good or bad. It's great to read your comments. Take care.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note; **Thank you for the reviews. You have been very encouraging. So, here is the next instalment.

**Beta Reader; **Thank you to NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but I own this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

My alarm sounded at 6.00am. I got up eager to start the day. I showered and dried my hair, had a quick breakfast and dressed. I still had time to pack the last few things into a spare bag. I decided to calm my nerves by sitting for a while and read a little more of Pride and Prejudice. It happily transported me into another world and my Mr Darcy. It was almost 9.00 and I heard a truck pull up outside my apartment building.

There was a knock at my door and there stood a very smart man ready to load my boxes and bags into the truck. His name was Charlie. He had a lovely open smile and hazel eyes. He reminded me of my dad. Dependable, honest and caring. After we loaded the truck we made the first trip to the letting agents to hand in my keys. Then we settled for the drive to Forks. We chatted easily. He worked for the Cullen family as their chauffer, he began to explain. He said that he had worked for the family for fifteen years and that it was the best job he'd ever had. _Where have I heard that before?_ He was sure that I would enjoy my job too.

We arrived at the weekend house and Angela welcomed me. She had organised two local boys to help get my belongings up to my apartment to save our legs. We went inside and put the coffee pot on. Angela explained that that was one of the things I must remember for the weekends. 10.00 and 2.00 coffee pot and refill if necessary. I was not expected to do any cooking this weekend as the family were going to a charity dinner tonight and would be back late. They would eat a light meal on Sunday that they would arrange. It made me feel guilty as so far they had been so kind.

"But, I'm moving into the house today. Surely they want me to start work straight away?" I protested.

"Nonsense," said Angela. "Those were Mrs Cullen's instructions." She retorted. I got the feeling that there would be no use arguing.

We got ready to go and see the city house.

Charlie drove us over there in a black Mercedes. The journey was long but the company was good. We found plenty to talk and laugh about. When we arrived, once again my mouth fell open at the sight of the impressive three storey house as we drove up to it. Angela smiled at my reaction.

We entered into a long hallway that led into an almost completely open plan living/dining/kitchen area. A set of stairs led up to the family bedrooms. The next set of stairs led to guest bedrooms and then another set of stairs to my rooms. _So, no problem about staying fit then._ My rooms were a similar lay out to the Forks house but more modern.

We made our way down to the kitchen for me to get a feel for it. Again it was perfectly laid out with all appliances and necessary gadgets. Angela explained that the kitchen was my domain and the cleaner, Jessica, was not allowed to interfere with how the kitchen was kept. Jessica cleaned the house on a Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday nights was usually 'Guests for Dinner' night. Angela showed me the kitchen diary full of menu ideas, the families likes and dislikes, phone numbers for the grocery stores that the family held accounts with and other emergency contact numbers. She explained that the diary was used for the family to inform me of any changes that needed to be done or any guests that would be coming on a Wednesday.

It was all quite clear to me as this would be the only way to organise things if the family were so busy. The diary was a point of contact between them and me.

It was time to head back to Forks and for Angela to give me the keys and my uniforms for day to day and formal. We arrived back early evening. The house was still very quiet.

We made our way back to Angela's office. She gave me the keys and a stack of uniform. Angela also explained to me about Fridays. On a Friday the family would always go out for dinner in Seattle. That meant that after they left for work in the morning, the rest of the day was mine. As long as I was in Forks to put the coffee on at 10.00 am the Saturday morning and see to any breakfast that might be needed, there was no restriction on my time.

Angela gathered her things and left saying that she would see me for a short time in the morning and wished me well. I decided to go and check the coffee pot and found that it was empty, so I did a re-fill.

I made my way to the stairs to go and put my uniform away. As I stood on the bottom step I heard voices at the top of the stairs. I stood still. The couple walked down chatting about the charity evening they would be attending. I assumed that it was Dr and Mrs Cullen. They were a very striking looking couple. He was tall and slim and had a good head of hair, blonde turning slightly grey at the sides. His eyes were a warm brown. His wife was quite petite with light brown shoulder length hair, green eyes that sparkled and a lovely smile.

"So this must be our kitchen 'goddess', Bella. Welcome, Bella." Dr Cullen said as he held out his hand, walking down the stairs and shook my hand when he reached me. I blushed, of course. _Well, I have never been called a 'goddess' before!_

"How are you today? I hope the move went okay for you?" Mrs Cullen asked as she also shook my hand.

"Yes, thank you very much. I'm fine. I shall make a start unpacking. The rooms are lovely Mrs Cullen. Thank you both very much. I am sure I will be very happy here."

"I am sure you will. Angela spoke very highly of you. I'm so glad that you took the job. I have a feeling you will fit in very well." Mrs Cullen said giving me a bright smile.

They made their way to the kitchen. I made my way upstairs to hang up the uniforms and unpack a few essentials. I then went back down stairs to the kitchen. Apparently there was a kitchen diary at this house too but I hadn't seen it earlier. I walked into the kitchen and found Mrs Cullen in the middle of making eggs. I offered to finish the cooking for her and after a slight hesitation she stepped aside to let me continue. She went into the breakfast room to sit next to her husband.

I finished the eggs and made some toast and plated up. As I took the plates into them they looked at me and smiled.

"Yes, you were the right choice for this family." Dr Cullen said.

As they ate they complimented and thanked me.

When they finished I cleaned up the table and the kitchen. They made their way back upstairs. I looked in a couple of the kitchen drawers and found the diary for this house. I began to thumb through it to get an idea of the kind of food that had been made for them by the previous cook.

The next person to make an appearance was a man with dark curly hair and brown eyes. He looked like a body builder or a football player. He was enormous. _So, large amounts_ _of food for you then. _He introduced himself as Emmett. All he wanted was a cup of coffee and he returned up stairs.

I loaded the dishwasher and decided to go and do some more unpacking. I arranged my music cd's and books on the book shelf and put by a couple of books for the bedroom. I then went to unpack some more clothing. The drawers were filling up quickly and most of the wardrobe was full, of uniform. I unpacked my toiletries and the little make up I had, in the bathroom. It was soon starting to look like home.

I made my way to my little kitchen to find that the basic foods were in the fridge so I made myself a sandwich. My attention was caught by some noise out the front and I had a look out of the window. There was a large limo parked out front with Charlie in a smart uniform, holding the passenger door open. The first people to get into the limo were Dr and Mrs Cullen, followed by Emmett and I assumed his fiancée dressed in a beautiful long red dress and high heels, her blonde hair arranged in ringlets around her shoulders. The next couple were I guessed Alice and Jasper. Alice had short spiky brown hair. She was smaller than Rosalie. She wore a lovely white knee length dress, possibly one of her own creations. Jasper and the other men were wearing tuxedo's they all looked very smart and obviously looking forward to the evening. I noticed that the youngest son wasn't there. Presumably he was working this weekend or busy with his girlfriend. The limo moved off and I made my way back down to the kitchen to see if any tidying up needed to be done. There were just a couple of cups in the sink so I put them in the dishwasher.

I decided to take a long bath before bed to spoil myself, listen to music and finish reading my book. Mr Darcy was soon to have a happy ending. As I ran the water for the bath the hot water caused the bathroom to fill with steam. I added some of my freesia bubble bath and stepped in. _Oh, how wonderful!_ The hot water relaxed all of the tension out of my body. I was in the bath so long that I almost fell asleep. I got out and dried myself off and set about drying my hair. The mix of strawberries and freesia reminded me of summer evenings. I put on my pyjamas and snuggled down into the bed. I made myself comfortable ready to read. It was not long and my eyelids became heavy. _Good night Mr Darcy. See you tomorrow._

Sunday

I woke in the morning feeling fully refreshed. I dressed, made a slice of buttered toast and made my way downstairs very quietly. It was nearly 10.00 am so I put the coffee pot on and made sure that there were enough plates just in case anyone wanted some breakfast. The fridge was well stocked so they would have a good choice. I heard footsteps behind me. It was Emmett looking a little worse for wear. He sat at the breakfast table silently. I went over and asked hesitantly if he wanted anything.

"A coffee please and headache tablets. There are some in the drawer under the sink. Two please." He put his head in his hands. I poured the coffee, a glass of water and found the tablets and took it all in to him.

"Oh, thank you. Bella. You're a life saver. I shall never get used to champagne. I drink it too quickly. It doesn't hit the spot like beer."

I smiled at his comment and returned to the kitchen area. I thought I would make some pancake mixture quietly as this would keep if needed for later.

"Are you going to cook by any chance?" Emmett asked.

"I can make you some pancakes if you would like?"

"Oh, yes please that might help my stomach and my head." He said holding his head.

I made a batch for him and took them to him with butter and syrup. He actually gave a big smile, revealing two boyish dimples, as he looked at the plate. He seemed to wake up a bit at that point.

"I can see why you are the 'goddess' in the kitchen." he said with a mouth full of pancake and syrup. "If I weren't getting married to Rosalie I think I would have to marry you and make you my own kitchen goddess!" I blushed completely as he looked at me and he laughed loudly. _So, your head's better then!_

I took the opportunity to thank him for arranging a car for me to use until mine was repaired. He asked about my truck and I told him that it had sentimental value and that's why I couldn't get rid of it just yet. He nodded seeming to understanding what I meant.

Alice bounced into the room obviously not affected by the night before.

"Good morning, Bella. Good morning, Emmett. Feeling alright are you, after the third bottle of champagne you finished last night?"

He groaned.

"Would you like something to eat, Mrs Whitlock?"

"Yes, pancakes please and call me Alice."

I plated up a batch for Alice and set the plate on the table. She poured syrup over them and grabbed a knife and fork and started eating. Dr and Mrs Cullen resurfaced and I poured them some coffee. I made another plate of pancakes and set it on the table. They all chatted about the events of the previous evening when Jasper arrived in the kitchen. He looked worse than Emmett did earlier.

I held up a coffee cup toward him and he nodded moving into the breakfast room. I took him in the coffee and another glass of water for him to take tablets with.

"See, Bella thinks of everything. I knew Angela made the right choice." Alice said a little too loudly.

Jasper put his head on the table and Alice gave a little laugh. I noticed that Rosalie had not made an appearance. _Not a morning person maybe._

Emmett finished his breakfast and made his way back upstairs. Dr and Mrs Cullen told Alice that they would be in their respective offices for the rest of the day.

Alice finished her breakfast and left to go up stairs leaving Jasper still a little worse for wear at the table. I quietly asked him if there was anything I could get him.

"Oh, no thank you, Bella. I'll just sit for a little while."

Angela arrived in the kitchen and motioned to me to follow her. We walked into her office.

"So, Bella how are things going. I see you have made yourself at home in the kitchen already." She said warmly.

"Everything is fine thank you, Angela. I'm afraid I just felt so bad about living here now and not doing anything all weekend I just couldn't keep out of the kitchen." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"That's okay then." Angela began. "You do as little or as much as you want this weekend. As I have explained already. This family aren't like others. They like to look after people, especially those who work for them. You'll get used to it, I'm sure." Angela finished smiling.

"Yes, no doubt I will. Was there anything else Angela?"

"No, just wanted to make sure you had settled in. I'll finish some paper work and then I'll be going home. I'll see you next weekend at some point. Have a good week, Bella." She said kindly.

"Thank you, Angela. See you next weekend. Take care." I replied and left her office.

I went back to the kitchen and loaded the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher. Emmett arrived back down stairs showered and fully dressed. He asked Jasper what he wanted to do today. All Jasper said was "Shush." As he put his index finger to his lips. Emmett took the hint and said that when he was feeling better he could find him in the gym. _Oh of course, they have their own gym here._

Emmett disappeared and Jasper turned to talk to me. I stood at the open doorway to show him that I was paying attention.

"So how are you settling in, Bella?" He said almost in a whisper.

"Very well thank you. Everyone has been very kind." I said, also in a whisper.

"You haven't met Rosalie then. I love her very much but she can be difficult. You seem a very nice girl. Don't let her get to you, Okay?" I wasn't sure what he meant but I appreciated the warning and somehow he made me feel relaxed.

_I've passed the test with the rest of the family. Rosalie couldn't be that bad. And I haven't met the last member of the family yet. I am sure I'll be okay._

Jasper left the room and went back upstairs and I put his cup and glass in the dishwasher and set it off.

I decided to go to my rooms and ring mom and dad. Mom answered the phone.

"Hi Mom. How are you?"

"How are you, honey? You sound good." Mom sounded very cheerful.

"Well, actually I'm a little bit more than good." I reply.

"Don't tell me, you've got a date!" Mom, she never gives up hope.

"No, I'm not going out with anyone." I retort.

"So, what makes you so happy then?" She asked.

"Well, I'm ringing to tell you about my new job." I smiled.

"New job! You mean you're not working in the cafe?" She said, surprised.

"Yes, I started yesterday. I'm working for a family now." I replied.

"How many children do they have?" She sounded a little concerned.

"No, they're all adults. They have a house in Forks and a house in Seattle." I add.

"What? does that mean you'll be cooking in both houses?" She asked sounding a little concerned.

"Yes. I will be cooking for them in both houses, mom. And gues what? I get to live in!" I was sure she'd be pleased with this information.

"Oh, how wonderful, Bella. So you'll always be on hand." She sounded pleased.

"Yes. I have my own rooms. I moved in yesterday morning." I add.

"But you didn't ring, Bella." Now she sounded annoyed.

"Well, I didn't have time to ring you. I've been busy packing all my things and then unpacking them. I still have a couple of boxes of books left to unpack. I'll be travelling to Seattle after breakfast in the morning." I reassure her.

"So, you managed to get the truck back on the road then?" She asked.

"No, the truck is still in Ben's garage. I'll get it fixed when I've got some money put by." I answer.

"How on earth will you get to Seattle then?" Her voice is filled with concern.

"Oh, don't worry. I have a car to use. The family organised it for me so that I can get from one house to the other without any problems." I smile.

"They sound like a lovely family, Bella." She sound relieved.

"Yes, they are very kind. How's dad?" I ask imagining his smiling face that I really miss.

"He's fine, Bella. He misses you." I know that's a ploy to get me to come home.

"And I miss him. I miss both of you." I reassure her.

"I suppose you have to get back to the unpacking, Bella?" She asks.

"Yes, mom. I should. Tell dad not to work too hard. I love you both." I said quietly.

"And we love you too, Bella. Well done, Bella. Enjoy your new job won't you." She sounded very proud of me.

"Yes. Speak to you soon, mom."

"'Bye, honey." Mom said.

"'Bye." I replied and shut my phone.

_I was right. Mom and dad are very proud of me._ I turned my attewntion to do some more unpacking and pack a bag for the morning. I would be leaving Forks as soon as breakfast was finished and make my way to Seattle for the week. I made a mental note to check the fridge in Seattle against the menu I wanted to cook for the family. Later I popped down to the kitchen to see if the coffee pot needed a refill. It did.

Charlie arrived in the kitchen looking for me. He held out a set of car keys for me.

"These are for you my dear. The car is outside on the drive. You will be the first to leave in the morning so I didn't bother putting it in the garage."

"Thank you so much Charlie for doing that. Can I have a look at it?"

"Sure, come on." He gestured for me to follow him.

We went to the front door and out to the drive and there stood a little red VW. _Perfect._

"Now, you know how to get there don't you? I've left the address on the driver's seat just in case. I'll be in the city too during the week, so I will no doubt see you at some point." He patted my hand and told me to take care. I returned to the house and saw Mrs Cullen in the hallway.

"Mrs Cullen would you like me to make a light snack for anyone who would like to eat?"

"Oh, Bella I think that is a great idea. How have we managed without you? What do you have in mind?"

"I could do scrambled eggs and some bacon maybe."

"That sounds great. Nothing too heavy after the meal we had last night. I'll go round up people to come to the table." She said making her way upstairs.

I returned to the kitchen and began beating eggs and cooking bacon. I got out some herbal tea that I found in the larder as an alternative to coffee and laid the table. Soon everyone drifted into the breakfast room including Rosalie. Jasper looked a lot better now and he gave me a smile as he sat down.

I put the bacon on a plate and the scrambled eggs in a large bowl and set them on the table. They all thanked me except Rosalie, who just glared at me with piercing blue orbs. _Such a pretty face, shame she_ _doesn't smile more._ _Pay no attention to her, she will weaken._

Once everyone had finished I cleaned up for the last time today and set the dishwasher off. I left the kitchen and went back to my rooms. Once there I made myself a snack and a glass of milk happy with the way the day had gone. I had an early night so that I would get up by 6.00 in the morning to start the day.

End of Chapter

**Authors note; **Hope you are still enjoying the story. Please review good or bad. I love to read your comments and it's great to know that people are reading it. Don't worry Edward is turning up very soon! Take care.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors note; **Thank you for reviewing the previous chapter. So here we finally have Bella and Edward meeting for the first time. Hope you like it.

**Beta Reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for all that you have done and the encouragement.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight. I do own this story however.

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

I woke up at 5.30 am relishing the fact that I could spend the next half an hour daydreaming. I ended up thinking about what I would cook for the family this week.

_What as waste of fantasy time that was Bella!_

Finally I got up and got ready, packed the last few things to take to the city, made a slice of buttered toast and took everything carefully downstairs. I left my bags by the front door and finished eating my toast. I unloaded the dishwasher and set up the breakfast table. I felt like I should set them up with a full breakfast this morning so I made a start. Mixing the ingredients for pancakes, cooking the bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, and making French toast.

The coffee pot was on and I was sure that eventually the aroma would wake them up. It did. Slowly they started to appear and take their places at the table. I finished cooking and plated everything up to put on the table. They were very impressed and enthusiastic in praising me. Finally when they were done I cleaned up, set another pot of coffee on and collected my bags from the hall to go to the car.

Dr Cullen called out to me saying. "See you this evening, Bella. Take care on the roads."

"Thank you. See you all later." I replied as I left the house.

I made my way to Seattle finding the house without any problems. The house was very quiet and I took my bags up to my rooms. I quickly unpacked and made my way to the kitchen. I opened up the diary and wrote down my thoughts for the menu today. Tomato and carrot soup, bread rolls, Lasagne and ciabatta bread with a … Tiramisu for dessert. _If that doesn't knock 'em dead, nothing will._

I checked the fridge and larder to make a list of missing ingredients. I didn't have to get too much so I thought I would get the things personally to introduce myself to the shop owners and get a feel for the people I would be dealing with. I picked up my house keys, a bag and left.

The designated shops were only a few blocks away and as it was quite a nice day, I decided to walk. _Save the planet and all that!_

With the shopping done I arrived back at the house. I walked through to the kitchen and put the bags on the counter top. I started to unpack when suddenly I heard someone cough. I nearly jumped out of my skin! I turned around so fast that I almost fell and had to steady myself gripping onto the counter top with my hands behind me.

I put a hand up to my chest and could feel my heart beating like a steam train. I was panting. A mans figure walked towards me. I was ready to scream! He must have seen what I was about to do because he took two steps toward me with his hands up in the air signalling his harmlessness.

"It's okay. I am not going to hurt you. I'm Edward. Edward Cullen. Are you alright?" He said, his voice mixed with panic and concern.

I simply nodded as I couldn't find my voice.

"Can I get you a drink of water?" He asked. Not waiting for an answer he got a glass and filled it with water from the fridge. He handed it to me and I took it with a slightly shaky hand.

"I am so sorry that I frightened you like that. I didn't mean to." He said in a genuinely concerned tone.

I looked up at him to see a perfect man in front of me. He was gorgeous. Piercing green eyes with bronze coloured, messy hair that fell over his forehead. Beautiful, perfect lips. He was so tall and well built, larger than Jasper but not as bulky as Emmett. He was perfect. _Oh pull yourself together Bella!_

"Hi, you're Bella? The kitchen 'goddess' I believe." He said grinning.

I blushed. I could feel the heat rising in my face_. I must be a tomato colour!_ I quickly broke contact with his eyes and turned to continue the unpacking. _He is just too much._

"Yes, I'm Bella the new cook." I finally said. It was easier to speak when I didn't look into his face…his perfect face and those eyes.

"I've been told you are a 'goddess' in the kitchen and I am sure you are a 'goddess' elsewhere too!" His voice was like velvet. _I could listen to it all day. What did he just say?!_

I blushed again but hoped he could not see.

"Here let me help you unpack. It's the least I can do after giving you such a fright."

There was no arguing with him so I told him the things I needed left out and he put the rest in the fridge. I needed to make a start on the evening meal so I washed my hands and began making the dough for the rolls and ciabatta bread.

He made himself comfortable on the barstool at the breakfast bar and I could feel him watching me. He began to ask questions about me and my life in Phoenix. My school and college. _Not very_ _interesting, surely._ He asked me about why I came to Seattle and about my last job. Then he was quiet. He sat there just watching. I tried to block out the fact that a gorgeous man was sitting in my 'domain' watching me with those eyes that should be classified as illegal. _I'm sure he could do damage with those eyes._

I finished making the dough and set them aside. I blanched the tomatoes and cooked the carrots and double checked with Edward that no-one was allergic to chilli. He said that no-one was so I began to slice up a red chilli. I then turned my attention to making the Lasagne.

"Uummmm Lasagne." He said. _Oh, please don't say it like that. I can't breathe_ _properly. _I quickly re-focused and began making the Lasagne.

Once ready, I set it to one side. I then started on the Tiramisu. He was still watching as I mixed and melted and folded to create the dessert. He made us both an herbal tea. With the dessert finished he picked up the bowl and took it to the fridge. He found room for it on the top shelf. I stood and watched him as he did this simple task._ What a body! I think he is just trying to say sorry in his own way, let him, Bella. He is rather nice to have in the kitchen or the bedroom or…Stop. It. Bella! What are you thinking? _

I asked him if he wanted anything to eat as it was past one o'clock by this time.

"Yes please. A sandwich would be fine, Bella." _Oh, keep saying my name like that_ _and I will get into trouble!_

I made sandwiches for us and he patted the barstool next to him to indicate that I should sit there. _I don't know if I can do this, sitting so close to him. I might just fall_ _off the stool! It's just the sort of thing you would do you klutz._ I sat down and looked at him for the first time in what seemed like hours. I could smell a hint of musk and citrus coming from his body. He still had the same affect on me. My heart started to pound and my cheeks flushed. He smiled at me, a knee weakening smile._ Good thing you're sitting down, girl._ I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach. I thought I was going to pass out. I quickly looked away to refocus. We ate in silence and I tried to keep my mind on what I still had to do for the evening meal. A short time later I got down from the stool and put the dough in the oven.

"I had better go and get changed now and then finish the rest of the meal. If I mess this up I will get the sack before I have done a weeks work." I tried to sound light hearted.

"There is no way you will get the sack. I wouldn't allow it. You belong here in our kitchen. No where else but here." I gave a little smile but could feel my cheeks starting to flush in reaction to what he'd just said. I went up the stairs and caught a glimpse of him watching me as I walked along the landing. _What is he doing to me?_ _Why is he being like this?_

I got to my room in one piece and changed into my uniform. I looked at myself in the mirror wondering what it was he could see to want to spend time with me. I checked that I was presentable enough and returned to the kitchen. I couldn't see him anywhere and breathed a sigh of relief.

I checked on the bread. They were ready. I set them on wire racks and put in the Lasagne. I got together the ingredients for a green salad and set them to one side. _I'll_ _do that job a little later._ The house was now filled with the aroma of fresh bread and the Lasagne was beginning to smell good too. Not as good as Edward though_. Musk and citrus. Ummm heavenly. Concentrate Bella. On. The. Food! _I blended the tomatoes and carrots together and added the chilli and put it in a pot ready to heat up.

I arranged the round dinning table with cutlery, condiments and trivets. I neatly folded the napkins, standing back for a moment. _That's just fine. Homely, not too_ _fussy._ I cleaned up the kitchen a bit and loaded the dishwasher.

The family were starting to arrive home from work. Edward walked downstairs. He had changed his clothes and still looked gorgeous. _He should be classified as dangerous. I bet he's_ _had hundreds of girlfriends. The best Seattle had to offer no doubt._ I made the green salad adding a little olive oil for flavour. I used my hands to mix it together. _There is_ _something so sensual about using your hands to cook with… Get a grip, Bella_.

The family gathered together in the living room talking about their day. Edward was very quiet. I caught him in my peripheral vision watching me. The soup was ready so I poured it into the tureen and took it to the table.

"Oh, good it looks like dinner is ready." Mrs Cullen said and gathered everyone to the table. I returned to the table with the rolls in a wicker basket and set it down. Mrs Cullen served up the soup and passed the rolls around the table.

"Thank you, Bella, this smells delicious. And homemade bread. You are spoiling us." Mrs Cullen said enthusiastically.

Dr Cullen asked Edward how his weekend shift went. He explained about two people injured in a car crash and a baby that was admitted with meningitis. He said that he would be back at work Tuesday afternoon and was eager to see how the baby was getting on. _I bet he has a fantastic bedside manner. Stop. It. Bella. Now! _

With the first course finished, I collected up the bowls, cutlery and tureen and went back to the kitchen. I took out the plates, the Lasagne and the ciabatta bread. Once again, compliments came from the table. Mrs Cullen served the food and they all ate heartily. Even Rosalie. _Ha, I think I am going to win this game._ I sat in the kitchen for a while and had a little of the left over soup. _Yes this is good, just the right amount of_ _chilli. The bread rolls turned out good too._ Even though I had not baked bread for a while I hadn't lost the touch. _Oh I would so like to touch his hair and…_

I took the Tiramisu out of the fridge as they were almost finished with the main course. I cleared the table of the plates and cutlery and took them back to the kitchen to return for the large dish and bread plate. _This will either make or break._

I took the Tiramisu in and set it on the table. Edward grinned at me and I had to look away quickly. I saw Rosalie watching him looking at me_. Uh oh, that's going to mess things up now. _She glared at me when I got back to the kitchen._ What is her problem? She's going to marry Emmett._ There was very little of the dessert left when they had finished, just enough for me to have some. I turned to put the coffee pot on before they sat in the living room.

The meal over, I could hear the bowls being collected. I turned to go to the dinning room and Edward was standing in the door way holding the bowls and spoons. He grinned at me and walked over to put the bowls in the kitchen sink.

"Thank you, Bella for a wonderful meal. I knew you were talented when I watched you cooking. I have no doubt that you are talented in many other ways too." He said very quietly and grinned.

He made me blush again. _How dare he do that to me so many times today. It's not_ _fair. _He was standing so close to me that I felt his breath blow over the top of my head. It was wonderful. That knot in the pit of my stomach was back again. He was having a very strange affect on me. He left me standing there feeling like an idiot as he joined his family in the living room. I gathered my thoughts and finished setting the tray of coffee, cups, cream and sugar and took it out and set it on the coffee table for them to help themselves.

I loaded the dishwasher with the next lot of plates and cutlery and sat and ate the left over dessert. _Yes it was good, maybe I could do another one some time with orange_ _liquor._ I reached over to the kitchen diary and jotted that down. I made some notes for tomorrow's meal. I decided that I would test the grocery stores for their accuracy and promptness. I was going to have the food delivered in the morning.

Ten o'clock was fast approaching and I was feeling very tired. Edward entered the kitchen again and put his empty cup in the sink. He stood still and racked his long fingers through his hair as though he was thinking of something to say.

"You find it very hard to accept compliments don't you, Bella. I wonder why that is? I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, 'goddess'." He gave me another grin and left the kitchen.

"Good night." I just couldn't say his name. Saying it would have made me shiver all over.

He walked up the stairs and I tried not to stare, I really did. But I failed. He stopped at the top and looked back at me. It was like we didn't need words to say how we felt. Well, I knew how I felt at least.

"Good night, Bella." Mrs Cullen called. "Thank you again. It was lovely. See you in the morning." I bid them all a good night and went to bed. I didn't need to read tonight, I was so tired. I dreamt of my own Mr Darcy all night.

End of Chapter

**Author's note; **Please let me know what you think of this first meeting. Edward POV of this first meeting will be the next chapter. Take care.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors note; **Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. This next chapter is Edward POV. I hope it will give you more of an idea about his character in this story. Let me know what you think.

**Beta Reader; **Many thanks to** NatalieRB.**

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I do own this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

Edward POV

I woke up feeling fully rested. Being home again after sleeping in the cots at work a few nights, was the best feeling. That and some proper food – not from a vending machine. I quickly washed and dressed and headed downstairs to see what Angela had put in the fridge for me_. Right what have we here? _A fresh carton of orange, eggs, bacon. I noticed a loaf of bread had been left on the counter top for me as well. _Thank you Angela._

I cooked myself some breakfast and made an herbal tea. _The new cook is arriving this morning. Dad called her the kitchen 'goddess'. Mom laughed when she recounted the first time they saw her on Saturday. The poor girl blushed. Oh, well I'll see just what kind of a 'goddess' she is sometime today. _

I cleared up the mess and went back upstairs to check on my e-mails. It would probably take a while as I had at least four days worth to catch up on.

_Just the usual rubbish by the looks of it. Oh, no wait, this is a new article._

An hour later with my e-mail box cleared, I went downstairs to make a cup of tea. _Was that the front door? Sounded like someone went out._ I put the kettle on and noticed that the kitchen diary was open on today's date. There was a menu written down for the evening meal. _Hey, that must have been the new cook, our 'goddess'._

I decided to wait downstairs for her return and settled down on the sofa with my tea.

A while later the front door opened. _I'll keep quite and see for myself what kind of 'goddess' she is. _ Our 'goddess' made her way into the kitchen. _Hey, she's young!_

She was completely absorbed in unpacking the bags. She didn't even notice me sitting in the lounge. I was intrigued. From where I sat she was only a little taller than Alice. Her rich brown hair was tied up in a ponytail_. I can't quite see her face. Please just turn a little this way._

I gave a little cough to let her know that someone was there, but then realised the mistake I made when I saw her reaction.

The poor girl looked like she was going to jump ten feet in the air. She spun round and had to hold on to the countertop behind her. She looked like she was going to scream. I put my hands up in the air like I was surrendering.

"It's okay. I am not going to hurt you. I'm Edward. Edward Cullen. Are you alright?"

She was panting by this time and looked a little pale. She didn't say anything and just nodded. She was in shock. _What have I done? Idiot!_

"Can I get you a drink of water?" I said and got a glass of water. I handed it to her and she took it. Her hand was shaking.

"I am so sorry that I frightened you like that. I didn't mean to." I really did mean that.

All I could do was stand there and look at her. She was beautiful. _I think I'm going to_ _surrender._ As she calmed down her eyes softened. Her eyes were like deep pools of dark, melted chocolate. I shifted my gaze and saw her face was a perfect oval shape framed by a few wisps of hair that had broken free from the ponytail. Her lips were full and looked so soft and so pink. _She is perfect._ I caught the scent of … strawberries. _She even smells heavenly. I do surrender._

"Hi, you're Bella? The kitchen 'goddess' I believe."

She blushed. _Oh, that blush is just amazing. Like a beautiful rose. I don't know any_ _women that blush like that. That is such a turn on._ She looked away and turned her attention to the shopping bags.

"Yes, I'm Bella the new cook." She finally spoke. It was like music to my ears. Her face and voice matched perfectly.

"I've been told you are a 'goddess' in the kitchen and I am sure you are a 'goddess' elsewhere too!" _Edward, you idiot. Where did that come from?_

_She blushed again, I'm sure she did. Easy Edward you're going to frighten her away._

"Here, let me help you unpack. It's the least I can do after giving you such a fright."

I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. I wanted to stay in the kitchen for a while. I wanted to hear her speak again. She told me what she needed left out and I put the rest of the things away. She moved over to the sink and washed her hands. I realised that she was making a start on the evening meal. It looked like she was going to make bread. _I'll sit down in here and watch._

I sat on one of the barstools across the kitchen so as not to distract her too much. The silence was driving me mad. I wanted to know more about her so I started asking her questions. _I'm sure she'll tell me to get out of the kitchen_ _if I'm getting in the way. _Everything she said was enthralling just to hear her voice. _I could listen to her all day._ As she moved around the kitchen I was mesmerised. She was so confident, so at home. I sat in silence at one point, watching. _Edward just don't creep her out, okay?_

She finished making the dough and put it to one side. Then she started cooking tomatoes and carrots. She asked me something about chillies I just old her 'okay' as I was caught up in how her small delicate hands were handling the food. _I am actually feeling jealous of the food. Get a grip Edward!_

"Uummmm Lasagne." I said when I realised the treat we were going to have tonight.

She set the dish to one side and then started to mix, melt and fold. I don't know what because I just wanted to look into her face again. I missed those eyes. But she wasn't looking up at me. I was starting to get jealous of the food again and all the attention she was giving it. I thought about how I could distract her and made us each a cup of herbal tea. It looked like she was finished. I quickly stood up and picked up the finished dessert. When I looked at it I realised it was a Tiramisu. _Umm, one of my_ _favourites. How does she dot it? Is she a mind reader or something?_ I opened the fridge and placed it on the top shelf. _We are going to eat like kings tonight._

Bella turned and asked me what I would like for lunch. I hadn't noticed it was that time already.

"Yes please. A sandwich would be fine, Bella." _Anything made by you would be fine._

After the sandwiches were made I patted the barstool next to me to get her to sit down. As she sat, she finally looked at me. _Finally I can look at her again._ I could feel my heart beating just that little bit faster as I looked into her eyes. _Oh, she blushed_ _again. Oh, that is so lovely. I hope I'm not making her feel too uncomfortable._ I smiled at her hoping to make her feel at ease. _She's looking away again. Just focus on_ _the sandwich Edward, she made it with her hands._ After she finished her lunch she stood up and put the dough in the oven.

"I had better go and get changed now and then finish the rest of the meal. If I mess this up I will get the sack before I have done a weeks work." She said in a light way.

"There is no way you will get the sack. I wouldn't allow it. You belong here in our kitchen. No where else but here." _What has come over you Edward? You've made her_ _blush again, easy boy._ I watched her as she went up the stairs, her hips swaying slightly and her ponytail swishing from side to side. _What a sight._ I couldn't take my eyes off her.

As I sat there images of Bella flashed in front of my eyes. Her eyes, hair, those lips and that blush. _She is a goddess. Could she be my goddess? I needed to lie down. I don't think I have ever felt this way about a girl before. No one not even Tanya made_ _me feel like this._ I went back to my room to think and ended up falling asleep.

I was woken up by the sound of my family arriving home. I noticed that I was sweating. _What have you been dreaming about?_ I quickly showered, dressed and went downstairs. Bella had arranged the dinning table and the dinner smelt so good. I smiled as my stomach growled. I sat down in the lounge catching up on all the family news and sketched over my shift at the hospital. I couldn't help but look over at Bella again_. Hey, she looks good in that uniform. I never thought black and white could_ _look so sexy._ She was making a salad and mixing it with her hands. _What other wonderful_ _things can she do with those hands of hers?_ Bella then poured the soup into the tureen and carried it over to the table. Dinner was ready.

"Oh, good it looks like dinner is ready." Mom said and we made out way over and sat down. I watched as Bella went back to the kitchen and brought out a bread basket of rolls to the table.

"Thank you, Bella, this smells delicious. And homemade bread. You are spoiling us." Mom said. I could tell that she was happy with Bella. Mom was not always easy to please, but Bella had won her over with her attention to detail.

We talked a bit more about work. I was having difficulty in focusing on the conversation. With the first course finished, Bella cleaned up the table, brought out the plates and the main meal.

It was delicious. I caught a glimpse of Bella as she sat in the kitchen and had some of the soup. I watched as she put the spoon to her lips. _Just to be that spoon. Edward focus. You're only going to draw attention to yourself. If Emmett notices, the poor girl will run._

She made her way again from the kitchen to clear the table ready for the dessert.

She set it on the table. I looked at her and grinned. As Mom handed me a bowl of the delicious dessert I caught Rosalie looking at me with narrowed eyes and then glare at Bella. _Just leave her alone Rosalie. Relax will you._ A while later I collected the empty bowls and spoons and took them to the kitchen and stopped in the doorway just for a moment as Bella turned round and looked at me. I gave her a little smile and put the dirty dishes in the sink.

"Thank you, Bella for a wonderful meal. I knew you were talented when I watched you cooking. I have no doubt that you are talented in many other ways too." I said very quietly. She blushed again. _Wonderful._ I was standing so close to her now that her scent wafted up to my face. I breathed it in. _Don't arouse suspicion Edward get back out there._

Bella came into the lounge with a tray of cups and a full coffee pot. She returned to the kitchen and put the left over dessert in a bowl and sat to eat it. Then she pulled the diary over to herself and started writing in it. _She is no doubt sorting out tomorrow's menu. Maybe I should start to come home more often for my meals. Or just come home more often just to see her._

It was nearly 10.00. If I didn't go up now I thought I might just do something that would scare Bella away. _You will see her in the morning and see what happens then._ _Take your time Edward. Take your time._ I wished my family a good night and went to the kitchen to see Bella one last time today.

I pulled my fingers through my hair not sure of what to say to her.

"You find it very hard to accept compliments don't you, Bella. I wonder why that is?

I shall see you tomorrow. Sleep well, 'goddess'." I smiled at her again taking in her beautiful face one again.

"Good night." She said quietly. _Umm, it will be a good night dreaming about you._

I walked upstairs not wanting to look back at her. I tried. But I failed. I stopped at the top of the stairs. I got the feeling we didn't need to say anything. I knew how I felt about her already. _Is there any chance that she could feel that way about me?_ I made my way to bed. A very lonely bed. I closed my eyes and dreamt of Bella.

End of Chapter

**Authors note; **Please review, good or bad comments. It all helps me to give me the incentive to get the next chapter checked over and posted. Take care.


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors note;** Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter. You were all very encouraging.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB. You're great!

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

_Tuesday_

I woke at 5.30 this morning. Thoughts of Edward entered my head immediately. As I had time to get ready I didn't rush. _Did he really say all those things to me, the gestures, his eyes looking into mine, him making me blush so much._ I brushed through my hair looking at myself in the mirror and tying up my hair. _What does he see in you_ _Bella?_ I put on jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed a white apron from a draw, made myself buttered toast and headed downstairs. No-one was up yet. Good. I laid the table and turned my attention to making breakfast, put a pot of coffee on and decanted fresh orange into a jug and set it on the table with glasses. I poured myself a coffee and finished plating up the food and put it all under the heat lamps. _I don't know how to react when I see him. I'll just embarrass myself. What if it was all a joke?_

Emmett was the first to make his way down for breakfast. We exchanged morning pleasantries and he indicated what he wanted me to plate up for him. Basically everything! He made himself comfortable at the table and tucked into his food. Alice was next, closely followed by Jasper, who gave me a warm encouraging smile. Their plates had a little bit of everything too. Dr and Mrs Cullen arrived at the table and asked for the same as Alice and Jasper. They smiled at me as I set the plates in front of them. Rosalie finally arrived, looking like she had stepped out of a magazine!

She only wanted some bacon and a slice of French toast. As soon as she had finished that, she came back for another slice of French toast. _Yes, she is weakening._

Once they had finished breakfast and had coffee refills they began to leave the table and file out to go to work, wishing each other and me a good day. I set about cleaning up the table and loading the dishwasher and just managed to squeeze another cup of coffee out of the pot. I sat at the breakfast bar for a moment to think about the menu for tonight. It was a little too early to ring through the order so I would have to do that later. As I relaxed I let my mind go blank and stared at the wall opposite.

I felt a flicker of warm air move across my exposed neck and let out a small sigh. That feeling in my stomach was back. I was beginning to realise that he had stirred something in me that I had never felt before. Then I heard his voice right next to my ear.

"Please don't jump, Bella. It's only me. Good morning. How are you?" His voice was soft like velvet. _So, maybe all this is not a joke._

I shut my eyes savouring the moment. _I can't believe he just did that. Oh, do it again, please?_

I turned my head slowly, opening my eyes, but didn't realise that he hadn't pulled away. Our eyes met and we were face to face. Only inches between us. _I could just kiss you right now._ I blushed at the close proximity of him. He smelt so wonderful. I lowered my eyes but did not move. It felt so heavenly to hear him breathing and at the same rate as me, just a little deeper than usual.

_Focus Bella. Focus._ I broke the silence. "Would you like some breakfast?" I asked looking into his eyes, still fixed on me. _Am I hoping for too much? Does he feel the same way?_

"Umm, yes please. But I suppose you mean food?" His warm smile came to his lips.

I blushed again. _This is so not fair! Focus! _"Is bacon and eggs okay for you?" I asked to quickly refocus, not only mine but his thoughts as well.

"Well that will do for now." He answered and finally pulled away.

I slid off the barstool, my legs feeling slightly shaky, took a deep breath and began to cook bacon and eggs. Edward got himself a plate, knife and fork and made himself comfortable on the other barstool. He was obviously going to spend time in the kitchen this morning. Once his breakfast was ready, I served it up and poured him a glass of fresh orange. The whole time we didn't say a single word to each other. I didn't look at him, I couldn't without blushing, but he did watch me.

I decided to busy myself and make the soup for the evening meal. I had all of the ingredients so I set to work. I also made a batch of dough for the rolls. Checking the time, I rang through the food order. It would be delivered within the hour.

Edward was busy making us an herbal tea so I took a short break from preparations.

He patted the barstool next to him and I sat down this time without blushing. After yesterday's inquisition I thought it was my turn to ask the questions. I asked about his High School, college, Uni, likes and dislikes. It was just wonderful to listen to his voice and each time he looked down it was easier for me to look at his face without blushing. _Somehow Bella you are in control._ Our time was up when the door bell rang.

I answered it and Edward followed me and stood behind me. I could feel his breath on my neck again. It was hard to concentrate. I thanked the delivery guy but before I could take the box from him, Edward stepped forward and took the box from the man and without a word, turned around and walked toward the kitchen. I shut the door and stood there for a moment. Dumb founded. _What are you doing? I can carry a box you know! _Then it dawned on me that he was looking after me in his own way, the only way that he could without me objecting too much.

I made my way back to the kitchen to find him unpacking. I told him what I needed left out and he put the rest in the fridge for me. I was beginning to feel very at ease with him helping me. _Note to self, Bella. You had better not let him help too much when the family are around._

Edward checked his watch. "Jessica will be here soon. I'd better get ready for work." He looked at me and seemed a little reluctant to leave the kitchen. He gave me one of his grins and went upstairs.

_What has Jessica got to do with him deciding to go upstairs? Is he frightened of her? Or is he embarrassed about being seen with me?_

A short time later Jessica arrived and made her way to the kitchen.

"Hi, you're Bella?" I smiled and nodded in reply. I'm Jessica. It's good to meet you." She said in a rather loud and excited voice. She was about my height, with shoulder length dark blonde hair. Her pale blue eyes looked me up and down as if she were checking out the competition. She grinned like she had nothing to worry about and continued, "I have been told in no uncertain terms that I must stay out of the kitchen, this is your area. So, no problem. But we'll have a break together a little later and I can give you all of the gossip." She spoke in a tone that suggested she wasn't expecting me to answer. So I didn't.

She made her way over to the staircase and opened a door under the stairs and pulled out an array of cleaning items and the cylinder vacuum. She hauled everything up to the third floor.

Edward was suddenly standing in the kitchen again leaning against the wall. It looked like he had showered and changed. _He is obviously avoiding Jessica._

"Would you like a sandwich or something before you go to work?" I asked him.

"Yes please. Anything would be fine. Surprise me." He said grinning.

I made us a ham and cheese sandwich each and put some mustard on his ham. He made us both an herbal tea and I sat next to him. He gave a little grin at my automatic action.

"What have you got planned for Friday, after you've finished the breakfast shift?"

I wasn't sure what to say in response. _What is going on in your mind?_

"Well, I thought I would make an early start after breakfast and head to Forks."

"Oh, please don't do that. Stay here once they've all gone to work. I want to spend some time with you. On our own. I shall make all the arrangements. Would you like to go out for the day? Do you trust me?" He said, his eyes twinkling in anticipation. _It's me I don't trust, Edward._

I thought about his request for a moment. _Don't look too eager, Bella._

"Yes, I would love to. I'll leave it all up to you." I looked at him and smiled and blushed just a little. I was sure I heard him sigh as we sat there looking at each other, in silence.

"What are you cooking tonight?" He asked, breaking the silence and looking in the diary.

I went to the fridge to get the chicken pieces. "Soup, chicken, roasted vegetables and a chocolate mousse." I replied. I noticed that he quickly shut the diary and turned to speak.

"That sounds great. The family will love it." He looked at his watch and stood up, "I'll have to make my way to the hospital now." He walked over to where I was standing at the sink. He stood close to my side and leaned in. "I shall see you Friday then, Bella. Take care 'till then." All I wanted to do right then was hold his face in my hands and kiss him! But I didn't. He hesitated and then turned and to leave. _Well, you missed that chance, Bella_ _Swan! Coward!_

I just couldn't watch him go. I felt sad. I wasn't even sure if I would see him before Friday. _What has happened to you, Bella? Pull yourself together._

I gathered my thoughts and turned back to preparing the evening meal. I shaped the dough to make rolls and let them stand. I mixed the coating for the chicken and peeled and diced the vegetables for roasting. I turned my attention to the mousse.

I was half way through doing this and I noticed that Jessica had finished working on the first floor and was vacuuming the stairs. I took this as my cue to make a pot of coffee. I finished the mousse and put the bowl on the top shelf in the fridge. Jessica wandered into the kitchen giving out a big sigh.

"So how is your day going so far, Bella? I take it you have met all of the family. I was surprised not to see Edward before he went to work." _So she does like him. I'm not_ _surprised._ "He must be on the early shift. He works too hard."

I made her a sandwich and poured us a coffee each. We settled down on the barstools and Jessica took control of the conversation.

"Well, what can I tell you? They have been looking for a new cook for months now. So well done for getting the job. They are a very popular family in their circle of friends, so watch out; you may get head hunted! Dr and Mrs Cullen are lovely people aren't they? I have worked for them for a couple of years now, and it fits in well with the other jobs I do." _Blah, blah_. All I could do was nod in the right places.

"Emmett is a very funny guy, always telling jokes and Jasper is very patient with Alice. When I first met her, I thought she was in need of some sort of medication! Edward, well he is just a dream. He is still getting over being cheated on by his ex, Tanya. They split up about a year ago now. I wish I could catch his eye." _Blah, blah_.

"I'm sure I would make him feel better. And Rosalie, well she is something else. Ever since Tanya did the dirty on Edward, Rosalie has acted like a lioness protecting her cub. She is worse than his mother! Tanya was Rosalie's best friend, so she feels that she's partly to blame for Edward being so unhappy. He'll never find someone else if she doesn't give him room to breathe." She paused for a sip of coffee before taking a deep breath. "That's the family, I guess. How do you like the job so far?"

I took a moment before I answered her, wanting to choose my words carefully.

"The family have been very welcoming. I've enjoyed cooking for them so far. They seem very happy with my work."

"Well, talking about work, I had better get back to my work. I've just got the ground floor to do now. I'll see you before I go." She got up and began to dust in the living room. I felt a little exhausted by all the one-way conversation. _Edward's unhappiness is something that I needed to process._

I put the dough balls and vegetables in the warmed oven. I decided to take a look at the garden at the back of the house. _The fresh air will do you good girl._ Once outside I was surprised to find that the garden although quite small was beautifully kept. There was a water fountain in the middle of the lawn with four large terracotta pots planted with saplings, placed at the four corners of the garden. A wooden bench stood at the far end facing the house. I walked over to the bench and made myself comfortable. The air was not too fresh and there was hardly any breeze as the garden was almost completely enclosed. My mind wandered slightly to thoughts of Friday. _So, if Edward and Tanya broke up a year ago, he didn't ask me out on the rebound. Don't get your hopes up, but could there be something between us?_ That question would have to be answered Friday.

Having had enough fresh air I returned to the kitchen to take out the baked rolls and set them to cool. Jessica had finished cleaning by this time and said 'good-bye' and reminded me that she would be in on Thursday. The house was quiet once again. I took a deep breath and began to cover the chicken in the mixture I had put together earlier. I put the chicken in a dish covering it in foil and placed it in the oven. Everything was under control. _Everything but me!_

Time to have a shower, get changed and then set the table. I had about twenty minutes left before the family would begin to arrive home. I put the soup on a low heat and arranged the rolls in the bread basket.

Dr and Mrs. Cullen were the first to arrive home. They greeted me and I set the coffee pot on while they went upstairs to get changed. Emmett and Rosalie were the next couple to get home. Emmett greeted me and Rosalie just nodded. _Well at least she_ _didn't ignore me._

Alice and Jasper were the last to arrive. Alice bounced into the kitchen. "Oooh, that smells good, Bella. How was your day? I hope Edward didn't bother you too much?" she said and winked at me as she left to go upstairs. _What did she mean by that?_

Jasper greeted me. He seemed a little quiet as he followed Alice upstairs. Once again the family gathered in the living room and I carried the tureen to the table followed by the basket of rolls. They all made their way to the table and Mrs Cullen served the soup. The main meal was ready and on time. I took it all out of the oven and put the food in warmed serving dishes. I gathered up the empty soup bowls and spoons and put them in the sink. I then took the main meal and set it on the table followed by the roasted vegetables.

"This smells lovely, Bella." Dr Cullen said as Mrs Cullen served everyone.

Once again plates were emptied and I cleared the table ready for the dessert. I took the mousse from the fridge and set it in the middle of the table. I fetched the dessert bowls and spoons and Mrs Cullen dished out the mousse. At one point it all went quiet in the dinning room. I took a quick look to see that every one was eating the mousse without saying a word. _I think that's a good sign._

It was. When they had finished the pudding everyone except Rosalie thanked me for a lovely meal. I heard Emmett hiss her name. "Thank you, Bella. That was a lovely meal." She said under duress. _No matter, she is weakening all the_ _time. Now I know what is going on I actually understand her._

I heard someone collecting the bowls and spoons together. It was Alice. She brought them out to the kitchen and put them in the sink. She looked at me and gave me a little smile. "Bella, can we talk later, please? I need to explain something to you about Rose." She said in a hopeful tone.

"Okay. Anytime." I replied and gave a smile.

She made her way to the living room to join the others. I made another pot of coffee and set up the tray. As the coffee pot was filling up I opened the diary to write down ideas for Wednesday evening. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a hand written post- it note stuck to the page. It read 'I'm looking forward to spending time with you 'goddess.' See you Friday. E.' I quickly put the note in my back pocket and breathed deeply to regulate my heart beat. _Concentrate, Bella. Focus._ I eventually wrote a list of food required in the diary.

I set the full coffee pot on the tray and took it in to the living room. Returning to the kitchen I finished loading the dishwasher and poured myself a glass of water. Just before 10.00 Mrs Cullen carried the tray of empty cups and coffee pot out to the kitchen.

"Thank you, Bella for the lovely meal. You look after us so well. I am glad that you're here. We're going to bed now. Don't stay up too long, will you? See you in the morning." She rested her hand on my shoulder as she spoke. She meant every word. I could see it in her eyes. I smiled at her saying 'thank you'.

Dr Cullen went to bed a short time later wishing everyone a good night. The others except Alice also went to bed. Alice motioned to me to follow her. We went upstairs and continued to the third floor. "Is it okay if we talk up here? We won't be over heard that way." She asked in a hushed tone. I nodded and we went into my living room.

We sat down on the couch. Alice looked at me for a moment. _Is she changing her mind about talking to me?_

"I can trust you, can't I?" She began. I nodded. "Rosalie is a very loyal person and that's why she is behaving rudely toward you. I am sorry for her behaviour but she feels that she's doing the right thing. She has been hurt badly in the past and so when someone in our family is hurt, she reacts this way."

Alice took a deep breath and continued. "A while ago she introduced Edward to her best friend. They fell in love, well Edward did, and they got engaged. Everything was just fine for a while until Edward returned from work early and found his fiancée in bed with another man. It broke his heart. Rosalie was devastated. She hasn't spoken to her since that day. She's become very protective of Edward. Do you understand why she is acting like this?" All I could do was nod in reply.

"Bella I have a very good feeling about you. I watched Edward last night and the way he looked at you. He hasn't shown any interest in any woman since that awful day. He just couldn't trust any one except his family. He has become obsessed about his work and just goes through the motions of living. He doesn't go out. He doesn't go to social evenings with the family anymore. But I saw something in his eyes and so did Rose.

She's worried he'll get hurt again. But he needs to learn to trust again and so does Rose.I think he needs you, Bella. I think you would be good for him. You like him too, don't you?" I nodded again and felt my eyes fill with tears. Happy tears.

"I don't think you have it in you to ever hurt him and I know that he would be an extremely loyal and loving man in return. I've seen how much you care about people and how much you already understand this family. So please stay. Rose will realise very soon that Edward will be fine. Please don't let Rose's behaviour scare you away. Stay with us." At this point she was holding my hand in both of hers.

"Yes, I will. I will stay." I said calmly. _There's no way Rosalie was scaring me away!_

Alice reached forward to me and gave me a hug. "I'll let you go to bed now. You have a lot to think about and a family to look after! Thank you, Bella. Good night. See you in the morning." She said as she left the room. I sat there for a while stunned by what Alice had said. _Yes I will stay. I'm know I'm falling for Edward. I couldn't give up_ _now._

As I got ready for bed I felt confident that Alice was right about Edward and his feelings. She was his sister after all. She knew him so well. _I can deal with Rosalie. She won't be a problem. We may even become friends. I knew Alice was on my side. I'm not in a rush. I'm not going anywhere._

**Author's note; **Well that's Rose's behaviour explained but how long will it take for her to ease up on Bella?


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors note; **Thank you for all the reviews so far. You have made some interesting comments and observations. I am also working of another story called Prima Bella. Please have a look at it. Chapter 2 was posted yesterday. I think you will find that Bella and Edward are two very different characters to this story. Let me know what you think.

**Beta reader; **Many thanks as always to NatalieRB.

**Disclaimer; **I do not won Twilight but I own this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Tuesday

Edward POV

When I woke up I heard feint voices downstairs. The family were having breakfast. I decided to stay in bed and wake up slowly. There wasn't a rush. I wasn't expected at work until mid-day. I washed and dressed when I heard the last good bye booming out from Emmett. I took a deep breath and made my way downstairs.

I saw her from the kitchen doorway. She was sitting on the barstool, very still like a beautiful statue. I moved forward very carefully. _She hasn't heard me yet. I wonder_ _what she's thinking about?_ I stood quietly behind her just looking at her exposed neck. I couldn't resist. _It's just too tempting._

I bent down and breathed on her neck. She let out a small sigh. I whispered to her.

"Please don't jump, Bella. It's only me. Good morning. How are you?" I said.

Bella shut her eyes. _I think she liked that. I know I do being this close to her._ She turned her head towards me. I didn't move. We were face to face, so close. _Should I_ _kiss her? I really want to._ She blushed. _Wonderful._ That warm feeling was still there, in the pit of my stomach. _Strawberries. Pass the cream – I could eat her!_ She lowered her eyes breaking the gaze. I realized that we were both breathing at the same rate. _Do I kiss her now or shall I wait? What is wrong with me?_

She broke the silence. "Would you like some breakfast?" Bella asked quietly.

"Umm, yes please. But I suppose you mean food?"

She blushed again. _You are beautiful_. "Is bacon and eggs okay for you?"

"Well that will do for now." I answered and finally pulled away.

That was the most intense moment I have ever shared with any woman before. I want to lavish her with this kind of attention, all the time, not just stolen moments. Tanya was a distant and very hazy memory now.

Bella began to cook my breakfast. I found a plate and cutlery and made myself comfortable on the barstool. When breakfast was ready she placed it all on my plate and poured me a glass of fresh orange. _She is so good at looking after me. Looking_ _after all of us. We are very lucky._ The whole time we didn't say a word. I just watched her as she moved around the kitchen.

Bella started preparations for the evening meal. _I'm going to have to start coming home to eat more often now._ After she finished making the bread dough she phoned the grocery store to place an order. I decided this would be a good time to make tea and she could relax.

I patted the barstool next to me. She responded immediately making herself comfortable. I could tell by her face that she wanted to say something. She began by asking me about my High School, college, Uni, likes and dislikes. It was just wonderful that she was interested in me and I felt that she was gaining confidence because she didn't blush each time I looked at her. _She's feeling more comfortable_ _with me now._ We stopped talking for a moment and looked at each other.

The doorbell broke us out of our quite moment. I followed her out to the front door and stood behind her, maybe just a little too close for my comfort. The delivery guy held out the box for her. I reached forward before she could get those beautiful hands on it. _I'll take this for you Bella._ I headed to the kitchen before she could object. I felt that I should be looking after her. Caring for her. It felt so strange. I only felt these things for the women in my family. Something inside me was changing.

I started unpacking the box. Bella pointed out the things that she needed left out and I put the rest away.

I checked my watch. "Jessica will be here soon. I had better get ready for work." I looked at her not wanting to leave her. I smiled and went upstairs to get ready. _I really don't need to have Jessica asking me twenty questions now. She needs to get the message. I'm not interested._

I heard Jessica arrive, even from my room. _She is so loud._ I waited to hear her taking the vacuum cleaner up to the third floor. She would be safely out of the way up there.

I made my way back downstairs to Bella. I couldn't take my eyes off her. _How am I going to spend more time with her?_

"Would you like a sandwich or something before you go to work?" She asked.

"Umm please. Anything would be fine. Surprise me." I said grinning at the thought of what she might make for me.

She made the sandwiches with great care and I made us a cup of tea. Without being asked she sat down next to me. That made me smile. _She wants to be near me._

"What have you got planned for Friday, after you've finished the breakfast shift? I asked eagerly waiting for her reply.

Bella seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Well, I thought I would make an early start after breakfast and head to Forks."

"Oh, please don't do that. Stay here once they've all gone to work. I want to spend some time with you. On our own. I shall make all the arrangements. Would you like to? Do you trust me?" _Oh, please say yes._

She thought about this request for a moment. _ Say yes._

"Yes, I would love to. I'll leave it all up to you." She looked at me and smiled and blushed just a little. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I sighed.

"What are you cooking tonight?" I asked looking in the diary. I could not resist leaving a note for her in the page. She didn't notice as she was busy getting things from the fridge. I shut the diary when she turned round.

"Soup, chicken, roasted vegetables and a chocolate mousse." She replied.

"That sounds great. The family will love it." I looked at my watch and stood up, "I have to make my way to the hospital now." I walked over to where she stood at the sink. I stood close to her side and leaned in. "I shall see you Friday then, Bella. Take care till then." All I wanted to do right then was hold her face in my hands and kiss her! I hesitated for a moment not wanting to go but willed myself to go to work.

The ICU was hectic as I was brought up to speed by the head nurse on duty. One of the accident victims had died, the other was doing okay and had been transferred to another hospital. The baby with meningitis was still with us making good progress and he was being moved on to a ward in about an hour. A heart attack victim was on the way and a gunshot victim was in surgery. Just another normal day then.

Time seemed to pass quickly as we were quite busy. Another patient was brought in.

After assessments I went to get some sleep as it was getting late. An hour later and I was being paged. The gunshot victim wasn't doing to well. We managed to stabilise him and I took a five minute break. Every time it was quite that night, my thoughts drifted back to Bella. _Her eyes and those lips._ _Edward, be careful. Your body is going to betray you._ Friday could not come soon enough.

End of Chapter

**Authors note;** So sorry if you thought this chapter was a tad short but there isn't much to say when the two of them aren't together, is there. The magic just doesn't happen!

Please review good or bad comments. I love to read it all. I may even reward you and post the next chapter on Friday. Take care.


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors note; Thank you, all of you who reviewed. It's really great to read your comments and to know that you are enjoying the story so far.**

**Beta reader; Thank you NatalieRB for your comments and encouragement.**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Twilight but I own this story.**

**COOK WANTED**

_Wednesday_

When I woke up in the morning I had time for a shower and enough time to dry my hair properly. I took a slice of buttered toast with me to the kitchen. I made a cup of herbal tea to drink while making the breakfast. _Pancakes instead of French toast_ _today, bacon, scrambled eggs and tomatoes._ I decanted the fresh orange and set the table.

Rosalie was the first to sit at the table this morning. She looked immaculate. She was as beautiful as a model and she knew it. I asked her what I could get her. She made her choice and I took the plate out to her with the coffee pot.

"Thank you. It looks very good." _Finally a breakthrough._

"You are welcome Miss Hale." I said and went back to the kitchen to get a plate ready for Jasper who had just come downstairs.

He picked out the food he wanted and I took the plate out to him. "Thank you, Bella."

He said giving me one of his encouraging smiles.

"Your welcome." Everyone else was now up and sitting at the table. I plated their food requests and took the plates into the dinning room.

Mrs Cullen confirmed with me that there would not be any guests for dinner tonight.

So my menu would not have to be too complicated. I opened the diary and jotted down a few ideas that I would decide on after breakfast. I put on another pot of coffee and set a small plate of breakfast to one side for me. I took the full coffee pot to the table and then sat on a barstool to eat. When I finished, I started to clean up and then clear the table as the family left. They all made their way to work and once again the house was quiet.

I wrote out the final list for the evening meal. Leek and potato soup, herbed salmon fillets, green beans and sautéed potatoes and a fresh fruit salad. It was another dry day although a little cloudy, but I thought I would take my chances and go and get the food myself today. When I got to the grocery store the owner greeted me warmly. I read out the list and he began to collect the things from around the store. That job done I went to get the fish and the next shop for some meat to make a pâté for Thursday's meal and pre-ordered a joint of beef to be delivered that morning. With the shopping done I made my way back to the house. It was just beginning to rain.

I made a start on the soup and then made the fruit salad and added a little Kirsch to the fruit mix. I put the bowl into the fridge to give the fruit plenty of time to soak up the Kirsch. I prepared the herb mixture to coat the salmon later and prepared the green beans and peeled and diced the potatoes and made the dough balls. With all of that done I needed a break. I made an herbal tea and a sandwich and sat on a barstool. I jotted a few notes down in the diary for the next day. _Only two days to go. I wonder where he will take_ _me? I hope he is getting some rest at the hospital._

It seemed really strange that he was not in the kitchen with me. I was already missing to him, even after such a short time of knowing him. _I wonder if he even thinks about_ _me. He probably doesn't have the time._

I heard the front door open. Charlie called out to me. "Bella?"

"Hi, Charlie, I'm in the kitchen. Please join me." He entered the kitchen. "Take a seat, would you like something to drink?"

"Please Bella, a coffee would be great." He said looking at the fresh pot.

I poured him a cup and we sat down.

"How are you settling in then? Do you like your rooms? And do they like your food?" he asked leaning forward eagerly awaiting an answer.

"Well, I've settled in very well. Everyone has been very kind. The rooms are great here and in Forks. I still can't believe I got the job. And yes, they are enjoying the food. Emmett has the best appetite of course!" We both laughed.

"Well, let me assure you, I have heard nothing but praise about you Bella. I've been driving some of the family around town since Monday and they look forward to coming home to see what you've cooked for them. You're doing a great job."

"Thank you for that, Charlie."

"So, I take it you have met Jessica? Don't pay to much attention to her. She's good at cleaning but is a bit of a gossip."

"Don't worry Charlie. I shall keep conversation with Jessica to a minimum."

"So, what are you going to be doing to do with your time off on Friday."

I thought quickly as to what I would say. "Well, I thought I would do some sight seeing. Seattle is still new to me so it would be a good idea to see some of it."

"Make sure you get a good guide book and have a good pair of shoes. What sort of things interest you?"

"I enjoy art so a museum might be a good place to start and maybe if I have time a show."

"Well, whatever you do I hope you enjoy yourself." He said checking the time. "I had better make a move. You have to get on I suppose and I need to get Alice to an important meeting, something to do about her designs. If all goes well I am sure you will find out about it this evening. She's very excited. More so than usual!"

He got up to leave and we wished each other well. "See you over the weekend maybe, Bella. Take care."

I set the oven to warm up and went to get changed. I was looking forward to seeing Alice later. I hoped that she did have good news to share with everyone. She is a very talented designer, very passionate about her work. _We have a lot in common. Creative and we_ _care about Edward._ Once back in the kitchenI put the dough balls in the oven to cook.

I had about an hour of spare time on my hands before I had to worry about cooking the rest of the evening meal. I took out all the ingredients to make the pâté for tomorrow and set to work. My thoughts became consumed with thoughts and images of him. _I miss him so much. I didn't know that I would meet anyone that would_ _affect me the way he does. Alice thinks that we would be good together, but what if she's wrong? I don't want to loose my job. This could be so good for my career. If things went wrong I might not be able to get another job at all in Seattle. I'd have to move back to Phoenix! _My brain was beginning to go into panic mode. I could feel myself panic breathing!_ Calm down, Bella. Nothing has happened. Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe he'll just take you out sightseeing and then that will be it, nothing else. But be truthful, Bella girl, you want it to be something else, something more than just sightseeing in Seattle. Oh, get a grip why would a gorgeous man like him even want to get closer to you, Bella?_

I had to pour myself a glass of water to calm down. I had to put him out of my mind, right now. I had to get the food ready or I would get the sack. I set the table, restocked the condiments and returned to the work in hand. I put the coated salmon in the oven, the green beans in the steamer the soup to heat up and began to sauté the potatoes. The pâté had cooled enough for it to finish setting so I covered it and placed it in the fridge.

Suddenly the front door flew open as if a gust of wind had taken control of it and in flew a small tornado. It was Alice, she was buzzing with excitement. Jasper was trailing a little behind her deep in thought. She was calling out for her parents in a high pitched voice, high even for Alice.

"I'm sorry Alice, but they're not home yet." I said loud enough so that she could hear.

"Oh, Bella," she began as she ran up to me, quickly checking that I wasn't holding anything in my hands, and flinging her arms around me trapping my arms by my sides. I stood somewhat shocked by this wave of emotion that had forced itself on me in the form of Alice. "I've been selected to do a collection!"

She looked at my face expectantly. I gave her a small smile and thought quickly. "Wonderful, Alice!" I wasn't absolutely sure what all this meant but Alice was happy so I went with it.

"Yes, it is wonderful! I'm going to New York in the fall! Just imagine my name in lights. My designs being photographed maybe even by Vogue. Models, wearing my designs, on a catwalk!"

The pieces were quickly falling into place. I hugged her back. "Yes, Alice it will be wonderful. You deserve this. What an honour to be asked!" My reply was genuine. I knew how passionate she was about her work and finally someone important had too.

"Imagine it Bella, New York!" she continued now twirling like a principle ballerina in the middle of the kitchen. I noticed Jasper leaning against the doorway looking less than impressed. Just a very thin smile on his face. He caught me looking over at him and he looked down to the floor. _What is going on, he should be so pleased for Alice?_

"So, will you have enough time to get the collection together?" I asked her as I double checked the oven and took the rolls out to rest.

"Oh yes. I've been working on one for a while now. Just the finer details to complete. I shall have to get in contact with an agency to choose models soon. Oh, I think that's Mom and Dad!" She said as she flew down the hallway to greet them at the door.

Jasper walked over to a barstool and plopped himself down. "She's going to be gone for at least ten days." He began sounding very despondent. "We've never been apart."

"Won't you be able to go with her?" I asked turning to look at him maybe a little accusingly.

"I have a very important case coming up during that same week. When Alice said that she might be chosen a couple of days ago, I checked out the dates and of course they clash." He said looking distantly at the floor.

Then it dawned on me that this was why he had been a little quiet recently.

"I know I don't know much about your work, but can't someone stand in for you?"

I asked in a more soothing tone.

"I have thought about it. I just have to decide what to do. This is so important to Alice. But proving myself is as well. I might still have time to sort things out without my decision disappointing anyone. My career has been my main source of focus but maybe it's Alice's career that needs attention now." He said standing up ready to join Alice and her parents in the living room.

"You will work it out, I know you will." I said encouragingly. I saw him readjust his stance and smile as he walked toward them.

When Rosalie and Emmett arrived home, Alice once again relayed her news to them, hugging them and dancing around the living room. _She won't be coming off_ _this_ _cloud for quite some time._

Mrs Cullen noticed me setting the soup tureen on the table and ushered everyone to the dinning table. She set to work dishing out the food. Rosalie was almost as excited as Alice, their passion for fashion was the one of the things that bonded them.

Once the first course was finished I collected the dishes, took out the warmed plates and set them down. I returned with the main meal. Appreciative words came from all directions even from Rosalie. _Good, Alice's news has distracted her from her 'grump fest' toward me._

Not one person had stopped talking as yet. Dinner was taking a little longer than usual. I was glad that I hadn't made anything for dessert that might spoil. I removed the bowl of fruit salad from the fridge to warm slightly and quickly whipped some cream into soft peaks. Jasper had collected the plates and cutlery and brought the stack out to the kitchen. This sped things up a little and I took the dessert and the cream out to them. I finished loading the dishwasher and sat to have some of the left over soup and a bread roll. I put the coffee pot on and set the tray.

Emmett stood up from the table and cleared the table for me. He walked into the kitchen saying "Bella, that was good! Edward should have come home to eat between his shifts. The hospital food is crap compared to yours!" _Umm I wish he did come home, I'm really missing him._

Mrs Cullen called out from the living room, "Emmett Cullen, mind your language in front of the ladies!"

"Sorry, Mom but it's true. How can he eat that stuff? Maybe we should send him a food parcel or something." He let out a huge laugh and we all joined in. I put the coffee pot on the tray. Emmett stepped forward and picked up the tray.

"Let me take this in, Bella. Save your strength for cooking breakfast in the morning." He said with a big silly grin on his face. _What's with all this looking after me stuff? Maybe it's just the way they are. They care. Live with it, Bella._

I turned my attention to Thursday's menu. I had already made the pâté, so I was ahead of myself. I jotted down; Make dough for bread. Roast beef, vegetables, roast potatoes. Dessert; baked apples and pears with a honey sauce.

I quickly looked into the living room to check the coffee pot. It was empty. I collected it to make another pot.

"Bella, we've finished now so don't worry about a refill. You get to bed as soon as you can, you look tired." Dr Cullen said in a fatherly way.

I cleaned up the coffee table and took the full tray back to the kitchen and finished loading the dishwasher and set it off. With the kitchen tidy I made my way up the stairs saying 'Good night' to everyone. _Only one more day Bella. Not long now!_

End of Chapter

Authors note; Well, isn't life boring without the delectable Edward. Please review and you'll find out what happens next. Take care.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors note;** Thank you for the reviews. You are all very encouraging and make some very interesting comments and observations. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Beta Reader;** Thank you NatalieRB, you are AWESOME!

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I do own this Story.

**COOK WANTED**

_Thursday_

I was woken up early, 5.30, by the rain beating against my bedroom window. _Oh, that's just great, wet and windy. Good thing I don't have to go out today. I can spend some time reading. _I lay in bed for a little while. _Just till the alarm goes off._ There was no rush, everything was under control as far as the evening meal was concerned, anyway.

The alarm buzzed at me, jolting me out of my daze. I washed and dressed and made my hair into one large plait at the back. I tied a white apron securely around my waist.

Making my way downstairs I heard one of the bedroom doors open. It was Jasper. He seemed to be still half asleep. He followed me down to the kitchen. I went to the fridge to get things out for breakfast. Jasper walked over to a barstool and sat down.

"I've been thinking about the New York trip. I'm going to go with her. I simply can't stay here without her. I'll have to explain it all to my boss and hope he doesn't 'overlook' me for the next big trial that comes up. Alice is more important to me than anything else. Like you said, I would work it out." He said smiling and looking a lot more relaxed.

Alice stepped into the kitchen walking straight over to Jasper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. I blushed slightly at this tender exchange in the kitchen. I put the coffee pot on to give them a moment.

"What's bothering you, Jasper? You didn't sleep well last night. What's going on in that wonderful head of yours?" She looked at him adoringly.

"I've decided to go with you to New York." He said looking into her eyes.

"Oh, Jasper really? It won't be a problem with work?" She hugged him again nearly knocking him off the barstool.

"I can't let you go to New York on your own. I want to be there to see these magazines and papers taking pictures of your collection. I want to be there to celebrate with you. And talking about celebrating I think we should do that this weekend. You and me, somewhere quiet." He said winking at me over Alice's shoulder. Alice nuzzled him in his neck.

"I'm sorry to bring you back down to earth but what would you like for breakfast?" I said.

"Pancakes, please." They both said in unison, looking into each other's eyes once again.

Without another word I quickly made some mixture and began cooking the pancakes.

_I'll set a tray up for them. I think they will be happier eating breakfast upstairs today. _

I plated the pancakes, put some butter in a dish, cutlery and syrup and put it all on the tray. Jasper stood and carried the tray to the stairs with Alice following closely behind him. She turned and gave me a 'thumbs up sign' as she winked at me. I gave a little wave and smiled.

The smell of the pancakes must have drifted through to the other bedrooms as suddenly the rest of the family appeared in the kitchen.

"Did I smell pancakes?" Emmett boomed out looking at the mixing bowl excitedly.

"Say no more Emmett." I replied and began to cook another batch. Emmett found the plates, knives and forks, and together with the butter dish and syrup set the table. He was becoming quite domesticated in his own way. As long as it had something to do with food that is.

I plated up the pancakes and took them and the pot of coffee to the table where the family had gathered.

"Where's Alice and Jasper?" Emmett asked looking a little puzzled. "You'll have to make extra ones for them, Bella, after I've finished. Its' first come first served in this family."

"Oh, don't worry, Emmett, they've already been served." I assured him.

Rosalie chuckled and Emmett breathed out "Oooh." and ate another mouthful of pancake.

Mrs Cullen asked for a couple of slices of toast and some raspberry jam. A couple of minutes later I took these to Mrs Cullen and Dr Cullen held up the empty pancake plate and smiled. I got the hint, took the plate and made some more. I poured myself a glass of fresh orange and decanted some into a small jug. I returned to the table with more pancakes and the fresh orange.

"Thank you Bella, you read my mind." Dr Cullen said gratefully.

I put two slices of toast on for myself and sat for a moment as the family finished off the last plate of pancakes. Emmett leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach.

"Right, my love," he began as he put his right arm around Rosalie's shoulders. "We had better get ready for work. I have a meeting this morning at 9.00. You may want to be there my love as this could mean a lot of work coming your way. Will you be able to join us?" He asked finishing his cup of coffee.

"No problem Em darling. I'll be there." She replied and stood to leave the table.

Mrs Cullen stacked the plates and brought them out to the sink. Dr Cullen followed with the cutlery, butter dish and syrup and went back for the coffee pot.

"Thank you both, you don't need to do this." I began.

Mrs Cullen took my hand and patted it saying, "We do because we want to, Bella. You do so much for us. We just want you to know how much we appreciate you." She smiled and they both went upstairs to get ready for work.

I stood for a moment watching them as they disappeared. _One day, I hope I'll be as happy as they are._ I opened the dishwasher and began to load it, washed my hands and got the ingredients ready to make the loaf of bread and set to work. With the dough mix ready I turned it out onto a floured area on the counter top. I began to knead the dough. _Kneading… is a… very good… way of relieving… tension. It's good… if you are angry… sad or… frustrated. Yes… frustrated. That's what… the problem… is… Bella Swan. This is…going…to be… the best… loaf…of bread… you have…ever…made! _I gently put the dough in a greased tin to prove and washed my hands.

The family were all ready for work now moving around downstairs gathering bags and briefcases and umbrellas. We wished each other a good day and the front door finally shut leaving the house silent. The house would be like this until Jessica arrived. I decided to prepare the potatoes for roasting and get the vegetables cleaned. The beef was due to be delivered just after 9.00. I had time to make an herbal tea and have a sit down.

At 9.10 the door bell rang. I answered the door. It was a delivery but not the beef. It was a huge bunch of colourful and amazing flowers. "These are for a Miss Swan." The delivery man announced. I looked at him with wide eyes. He smiled, passed the bunch to me and left. I walked down the hallway looking at them and laid them on the breakfast bar. There was a card set in the middle of the bunch. I carefully opened the top of the wrapper and took out the note. 'Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. Miss you. See you Friday. E.'

I gasped as I read the note and then my heart began to beat furiously. I felt a rush of heat travel up my body almost from my toes. The heat intensified causing the pit of my stomach to twitch and my breathing become a little erratic. I noticed my hand shaking as I held the note. I could feel my torso flush under my clothing. The sensation continued up to the very top of my head and when it reached that point it made me shiver and I felt my body react in the form of goose bumps, all over me. _Wow. He's been thinking about me. Me, plain, ordinary, Bella Swan._

Without a second thought I put the note in my pocket and completely unwrapped the flowers. The door bell rang. I ran to open it. It was the beef delivery this time. I thanked the man, shut the door and took the beef to the kitchen putting it on the bottom shelf in the fridge.

I turned back to the flowers and found a vase in a cupboard and took the vase and flowers up to my bedroom. I filled the vase with water and arranged them as best I could. This was not something that had ever happened to me before. I had been sent flowers! I set the arrangement on the chest of drawers. I sat on the end of my bed opposite, staring at them. _He missed me. He actually missed me. I thought he wouldn't even have time to think about me. That he'd be too busy. But he missed me! _ I let myself fall backwards on the bed and stared at the ceiling and shut my eyes. _Thank goodness he wasn't here Bella, to witness you getting into a state over a bunch of flowers! I've never had anything like this happen before. There's no way I could tell him. I'd be so embarrassed. He'd probably think I was stupid. You'll just have to play it cool. Say thank you calmly, be in control. Around him…you have got to be joking._ I slowly pushed myself up off the bed and looked at the flowers again before going back downstairs.

_Jessica will be here this morning. She'll get suspicious if she sees the flowers. There is no way she is cleaning any of my rooms today. They're not dirty anyway. I don't spend enough time up there. I'll tell her not to bother. That way she'll finish a little earlier. I want to have a bit of time to myself today. Get some kind of control going on. I'll have to try for my own sake._

The tin with the bread dough caught my eye. It had doubled in size. _Umm that did get a good kneading._ I turned the oven on to warm it up and made myself an herbal tea. _It's funny how you seem to like this stuff now._ The dishwasher was ready to be emptied so while the oven was warming up I did that job.

"Hi, Bella!" Jessica's voice broke the silence as she entered the kitchen.

"How are you today?" she asked quickly changing out of her wet shoes into dry indoor shoes.

"Hi, I'm fine thank you. How about you?" I replied.

"Good. Is there any coffee left in the pot? I really could do with a caffeine shot before I start." she said sitting on a barstool.

"Of course. Here." I passed a cup of coffee to her.

"Sooo, is Edward around this morning?"

"Umm, no, sorry." I replied keeping control of my voice.

She took a deep breath and let it all out in one long sigh.

_Poor Jessica. You'll get over it._

"There's no need to go up to the third floor today. I haven't spent a lot of time up there so far, just showering and sleeping, so there doesn't seem a lot of point." I informed her.

"Oh, thanks Bella. I'll just change your sheets then." She replied.

"Oh, no!" _Keep calm, Bella._ "I can do that. The menu is simple today so I can do that later. It won't take me ten minutes."

"If you're sure. I'll leave the fresh bedding on your stairs then." She seemed to accept my explanation and finished her coffee.

I stood up and took the tin of bread dough over to the oven and put it in. I checked my watch. _You've got half an hour, Bella. Don't get distracted._

Jessica left the kitchen and went to the stair cupboard to begin work. I turned my attention to the peel potatoes and put them on the hob to part-boil. This day was going to drag. I could feel it. I looked out of the kitchen window to see that it was still raining. Rain didn't bother me that much, but today it would have been nice to spend some time in the garden if only to kill time. Kill time. I got a cleaning cloth and dampened it with warm water and went over to the fridge and gave the inside and outside a quick wipe down. I noticed a few crumbs on the floor, so I swept them up. _Oh,_ _yes this is going to be a long day!_

I refilled the coffee pot and glanced at my watch. Good, time to check the bread. It smelt delicious. I opened the oven door and there it was a perfect loaf of bread, lovingly made by me! _It's just a pity he won't be here to eat some. He's the reason it turned out so well._ I set it to one side for the tin to cool for a minute. I put a sharp knife into one of the potatoes. _They will do._ I took them off the heat and drained them over the sink and left them to cool. Jessica was on the first floor now and I could see the pile of bedding at the top of the stairs increasing in size. I poured myself a coffee and sat for a moment and had a flash of inspiration. _No, not baked apples and pears – an apple and pear tart with a chocolate sauce!_

Jessica had finished the first floor and the main stairs. She stood up and looked over to the kitchen. She needed a break. I held up a coffee cup in her direction. She nodded back with a relieved smile. I poured us a coffee each and went over to the fridge to find fillings for our sandwiches. I quickly made two ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches and we sat down to enjoy a break.

"So, what are you doing with your time off tomorrow?" _Keep calm, Bella. Keep control._

"I'm not sure actually. I thought I would go to a museum or see a show." I replied.

"In the years I've lived here I have never been to a museum. Not my kind of thing. I prefer the night life." She said with a glint in her eye.

"I'll probably leave Seattle early evening to travel back to Forks for the weekend."

"You don't get much time off do you?" Jessica said with a hint of indignation in her voice.

"I don't mind. I've been working in catering for a while now. The weekends at Forks will be easy. Most of the weekend I won't have to cook so I'll have time to have a look round the area."

"So long as you like trees!" She chuckled.

"I like the outdoors. There's a beautiful garden over there. If the weather turns out good I'd like to have a good walk around it."

"Oh, well 'each to his own'." Jessica finished her sandwich and slid off the stool to put her plate in the sink. "Just downstairs to do and I'll be finished for the day. Thanks for the lunch, Bella." She said heading back to the cleaning box to find a duster.

I took my empty plate to the sink and washed my hands ready to make the pastry for the tart. _Remember, girl this needs gentle handling, it's pastry not dough!_ I lined a large tart tin and placed the rolled pastry into it making sure that it hugged the edges of the tin and baked it blind. I peeled, cored and sliced the apples and pears squeezing a little lemon juice to stop the fruit going brown. I made an apricot glaze and set it to one side. The pastry was ready and I set it to one side to cool.

Jessica had finished the cleaning and was packing away the cleaning box and vacuum.

"So, I've finished, Bella. Have a good few days. I'll see you next Tuesday. Bye." She said cheerily.

"Thank you Jessica. Have a good weekend too. Bye."

With that Jessica finally left the building! I turned my attention back to finishing the tart. I arranged the fruit on the cooled pastry, in a circular shape and put it in the heated oven. A while later and some more cleaning done I took the cooked tart out of the oven to cool. The last thing to do was pour the apricot glaze over the fruit and with a pastry brush spread the glaze over all the fruit. It was finished. I'd make the chocolate sauce as late as possible.

Looking at my watch, I turned my attention to putting the beef in the oven and put some oil in another baking tin ready for the potatoes. I opened the diary and noted down the change in dessert for this evening. It was time to get changed and put the clean sheets on my bed.

Once I reached my room I changed the sheets. With that done, I sat on the edge of my bed looking at the beautiful flowers. I sighed and sighed again. _Okay, enough with the sighing. _I changed and re-plaited my hair and grabbed Pride and Prejudice from the bedside table. I hadn't had the energy to read it lately so with the beef not needing a lot of attention, I would be able to catch up with Mr Darcy.

Back downstairs in the kitchen I looked in the oven to make sure the beef was not getting dry. I put the baking tin for the potatoes, into the oven to heat up. I put the vegetables in the steamer and put the tart on the top shelf of the fridge. There was half an hour of spare time before I needed to put the potatoes in the oven. _Time to be_ _transported to Darcy land._ I opened the book at the page where I had left the bookmark. _"I do, I do like him," she replied, with tears in her eyes; "I love him. Indeed he has no improper pride. He is perfectly amiable. You do not know what he really is; then pray do not pain me by speaking of him in such terms."_

"_Lizzy," said her father, "I have given him my consent. He is the kind of man, indeed, to whom I should never dare refuse anything which he condescended to ask. I now give it to you, if you are resolved on having him. But let me advise you to think better of it. I know your disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable unless you truly esteemed your husband – unless you looked up to him as a superior. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage. You could scarcely escape discredit and misery. My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life. You know not what you are about."_

_Potatoes Bella! _I took out the baking tray and poured the potatoes into it. They made a very satisfying sizzling sound. _Back into the oven with you. _I turned back to the book. _Elizabeth, still more affected, was earnest and solemn in her reply; and at length, by repeated assurances that Mr Darcy was really the object of her choice, by explaining the gradual change which her estimation of him had undergone, relating her absolute certainty that his affection was not the work of a day, but had stood the test of many months suspense, and enumerating with energy all his good qualities, she did conquer her father's incredulity, and reconcile him to the match._

"_Well, my dear," said he, when she ceased speaking, I have no more to say, if this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to any one less worthy."_

I dragged myself away from the book and took the pâté out of the fridge to slice it and arranged it on a plate. I found a little flat leaf parsley for the garnish. I double checked the beef and potatoes. They would almost be done so I turned the heat down.

The front door opened. Emmett and Rosalie were the first home today.

Emmett boomed out, "Smell that dinner, Rosalie. We have got a treat tonight." They entered the kitchen with Emmett closing his eyes and breathing in the aromas. "It's beef, isn't it. Man's food. That's what beef is. Would you mind cooking tomorrow night as well? That restaurant food is too… flouncy." He struggled for the right verb before adding an exaggerated hand movement as if it proved his point.

"No, Emmett, tomorrow is Friday. That's Bella's night off." Rosalie retorted. She finished her sentence with a large smack around the back of Emmett's head earning a loud 'yelp' followed by a death glare directed at her back as she headed for the stairs.

I stifled a laugh and gave Emmett a sympathetic grin. He smiled back at me, turned and followed Rosalie.

"Hi Bella." Alice called out from the hallway. "Dinner smells delicious."

"Thank you, Alice." I replied as I watched Alice and Jasper make their way upstairs.

Dr and Mrs Cullen walked into the kitchen. "I know it's a silly question, but do you need any help, Bella?" Mrs Cullen asked as she watched me laying the table.

"No, thank you. It's all under control." I answered moving toward the kitchen to check the oven again.

"Right, we'll be right back down. It smells so good, as always." Dr Cullen pulled on Mrs Cullen's hand and led her up the stairs.

By this time Emmett and Rosalie came back down and sat, waiting at the table. Emmett picked up his knife and fork and sat there holding them upright against the table looking like an impatient boy. Alice and Jasper joined them and sat there laughing and Emmett's 'hungry' face. I had sliced the fresh bread and set it out on a plate and put it in the middle of the table. Emmett reached his hand toward the bread but quickly retracted it when Alice hissed his name.

Dr and Mrs Cullen finally sat at the table. "Yeah! We can eat now." Emmett cheered.

I took in the pâté and set it on the table. I hardly had a foot back in the kitchen and I could hear the bread and pâté being passed around the table.

I took the beef out of the oven and set it on the carving tray to rest. The roast potatoes were cooked so I turned the oven off. The steamer had also finished its cooking time. I took the carving knife and fork out of the drawer holding them ready to carve.

I suddenly felt the presence of someone in the kitchen. I continued to focus on the job in hand. I plunged the carving fork into the middle of the beef to hold it still and set the knife at the edge of the joint to cut the first slice. A hand appeared from behind me and rested on mine holding the knife. His hand. _You are in control, Bella._ I didn't jump but I did blush. A 'tomato' blush. As he took the knife out of my hand I felt his warm breath on my neck.

"You came home early." I whispered, still looking down.

"I couldn't stay away any longer." He whispered beginning to carve the meat snaking his other arm around my waist causing me to catch my breath.

"Breathe, Bella, breathe." He whispered again.

He continued to carve the meat only letting me out of his hold long enough to allow me to put the vegetables and potatoes in serving dishes. I finally looked up at him, "I need to take these plates to the table." I said in a hushed tone, biting my bottom lip.

Alice appeared in the kitchen having collected the plates and knives from the table. She stood frozen for a moment seeing Edward carving the meat. He turned and smiled at her without a word. Alice said nothing putting the plates and knives in the sink and returning to the table.

"Don't be long." He instructed me as he finished carving the meat.

I took the warmed plates to the table setting them out returning a minute later with the two serving dishes. Edward had laid the slices of beef on the serving plate ready for me to take out to the table with the jug of gravy. All conversation stopped as the plate of meat and gravy were placed on the table. Mrs Cullen began to serve everyone.

Alice looked up at me as I turned to go back to the kitchen - and to Edward. She winked at me. I knew she would not blow the whistle on us. She would allow us this time together. Conversation around the table began to flow again as I returned to the kitchen.

Edward held out his arms towards me. I moved to him still telling myself to stay in control. He drew me into his body holding me tightly. "I missed you so much." He whispered bringing up his hand and stroking my hair.

"I need to make the sauce." I said as I moved round to the hob to melt the chocolate and add a little butter to bring it to the right consistency. I set it on a low heat to keep warm. The whole time he stood behind me with his arms around my waist. When the sauce was ready I turned in his arms to face him.

"Do you want something to eat?" I whispered into his chest inhaling his scent making my thoughts go a little hazy.

"The meal smells wonderful, but you smell so much better." I didn't dare look up at him. My blush this time was one that travelled from my face, down my body until it reached the pit of my stomach. The conversations at the table had become just distant chattering. But I needed to focus and listen for a sign that they were nearly finished before anyone would walk into the kitchen and see him. _Not just yet. I just want to be with him a little while longer._

I heard the plates being stacked. "I'll get these, Bella." Alice instructed me.

I moved out of Edwards hold to go to the fridge. He followed me putting his arm around my waist from behind.

"Jasper, can you bring out the other dishes please? Bella has to see to the dessert."

Jasper duly obliged and they entered the kitchen together. Jasper almost gasped looking at Edward standing there with his arm around my waist. Alice shot him a warning look and without a word gestured toward the sink. They set the plates and dishes down. Jasper looked at Edward and gave a knowing smile. Alice grabbed Jasper's hand leading him back to the dinning room.

"The dessert looks heavenly, Bella." She said as she took her place again.

Edward whispered in my ear "Yes, Heavenly Bella." And lightly kissed my neck.

I took out the dessert plates, forks and spoons and returned with the apple and pear tart and the chocolate sauce. Words of appreciation came from the family as Mrs Cullen cut into the dessert.

"You're welcome." I said quietly.

"Do you think we should save a piece for Edward's food parcel?" Emmett said as he poured a large amount of the sauce on his slice of tart.

"Do you think a food parcel from Bella, would even get passed the front desk and safely delivered into his hands?" Dr Cullen announced.

A wave of chuckles made its way around the table.

I was back in Edward's arms but whispered that I needed to put the coffee pot on. He let me go again with a pained expression on his face. I moved over to the other side of the kitchen and flicked the switch on. I quickly got the tray ready and moved back to his waiting arms. I felt so secure, so safe, so wanted.

The coffee pot was ready. Once again Alice gathered up the plates and cutlery and Jasper carried out the left over tart and sauce. "Thank you Bella, that was lovely." She said as she set down the plates. "There's even a couple of slices left. I really think you deserve to finish that off. Stay here. Jasper can take the coffee out to the living room." She said with a wink.

Jasper set down the tart dish and sauce and picked up the tray and they led everyone into the living room.

I quickly loaded the dishwasher and got two plates for our dessert. I put the slices of tart on the plates and poured the sauce over them. We stood looking at each other eating. I watched as he ate each mouthful. I was mesmerized by the shape and movement of his lips, his eyes looking intently at my mouth. He set his empty plate down behind him and waited for me to finish. When I had, he took my plate and set it down carefully. It seemed that not a single word needed to be said as he pulled me toward him again, his arm around my waist and the other now cupping my face.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead. _Oh, please a little lower, please._ He then moved his lips down to the tip of my nose, as if he had read my thoughts. _Oh, yes, please, please._ He gently put his lips to mine giving me the most tender kiss. He slowly pulled away and redirected his kisses to my forehead. I rested my head on his chest hearing his rapid heartbeat that mimicked my own. Our breathing regulated again and for a time we just stood completely lost in our embrace.

I had no idea as to how much time had elapsed but the tray was returned, by Jasper, to the kitchen with the empty coffee pot and cups. I understood that to be a signal that the family were now going to bed.

"Good night, Bella. Sleep well." Jasper said, smiling at us.

A round of 'good night' was exchanged between me and the family. Finally the house fell still.

"Thank you for the flowers." I whispered into his chest. "They are beautiful."

"You are most welcome, Bella. I meant every word." He said leaning back from me slightly, putting his index finger under my chin and lifting my face up towards his.

Looking again into his eyes, those hypnotic eyes, my breath caught.

"Breathe, Bella, breathe." He said resting his hand on my neck.

I let out a sigh. He leaned in again and gave me another gentle kiss. My lips tingled.

_Bella, if you don't stop this now it is going to go too far. You won't know what to do, you're not ready. It's too soon. You will look foolish._

As if he read my mind, he put both his hands on my shoulders moving gently back from me. I opened my eyes wondering what was going on. He grinned at me_. Stop it my knees won't hold up._

"You still have work in the morning. It's getting late. Can I walk you to your stairs?"

Words failed me as my heart settled back to normal speed. I nodded. He took my hand and carefully led me up the staircase. A vision of him taking me directly to his bedroom entered my head. He hesitated at the top of the stairs, just long enough for me to think that he had the same thought. He then continued to walk me up the next flight of stairs. Not a word was spoken. _Should I say something. Do I dare to._

Reaching the last set of stairs, he stopped and turned and pulled me towards him enveloping me in his arms. He gingerly kissed my forehead and stroked my hair and breathed in heavily.

"Good night, Bella. Sleep well. I'm looking forward to tomorrow." He stepped around me to allow me access to the stairs.

"Good night. Sleep well." I said in almost a whisper as I began to walk up to my room. I couldn't look back. I had to keep moving, my head told me to. My body wanted to do something entirely different. In the last few days my body was not as reliable as it used to be. There were too many new sensations pulsing through it. Never before, until Edward. I entered my bedroom in complete oblivion of where I was, what time it was or even what my name was. I finally changed into my pyjamas and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and untie my hair for the night.

I looked at myself in the mirror. _What is it that he sees Bella? You're just ordinary. Not a great beauty. Not overly intelligent. Not overly curvaceous. Just average._

I turned away from my reflection and dragged my feet to the bed. Climbing up into bed I made my way to the middle and snuggled down taking a last peek at the flower arrangement opposite. The smell in the room now was heavenly. _Not like his scent though._

I drifted off into a sound and deep sleep, dreaming of Edward.

End of Chapter

**Authors note;** The next chapter will be Edward POV. I need to go over it one more time, so I will post it as soon as possible. Keep reviewing. Take care.


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors note;** Thank you for the reviews. You are all very encouraging and make some very interesting comments and observations. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Beta Reader;** Thank you NatalieRB, you are AWESOME!

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I do own this Story.

**COOK WANTED**

Thursday

Edward POV

The last couple of days passed by in a bit of a blur. I managed to get some sleep the last two nights and the early hours of Thursday morning. I woke up at six and made my way back to ICU. _I want to surprise Bella. I can't get away from work. What's the next best_ _thing to show her that I'm thinking of her. Flowers._ I pulled out my cell the next quiet time we had and rang the order through to a flower shop Alice used a lot. I dictated a message for the note and they assured me that they would be delivered just after 9.00am. I snapped my cell shut and stood there grinning. _I'd love to be there just to see her face. _The rest of the day was not too bad. I even managed to get a little more sleep.

As the day progressed I was getting a little anxious about getting home today rather than Friday morning. I checked with the other Doctor on duty, Dr. Michaels. He owed me a few favours anyway, as I'd stepped in for him many times while he was going through his divorce. He gave me the nod that he would cover the last hour. Without any hesitation I got changed and made my way home.

I snuck into the house as quietly as possible. I could hear that they were eating. _They'll be too busy talking to hear me. They're not expecting me home yet anyway._

I made my way to the kitchen without being seen. There she was, my Bella. She was just about to carve the meat. _Careful Edward she's got a knife in her hand. Don't make her jump._ I made my way across the kitchen and watched as she began to carve. _Careful, don't make her jump_. I stood behind her. _Not too close_. I slid my hand over her hand, holding the knife. I carefully took the knife from her and breathed in her scent. The electricity that ran through my hand when I touched her was amazing. I had never felt anything like it before. _I'm falling for her hard._

"You came home early." She whispered, still looking down. I could see that she was blushing. That blush made my spine tingle.

"I couldn't stay away any longer." I whispered as I started to carve the meat. I put my other arm around her waist. My hand tingled. I heard her catch her breath. _Are you felling the same thing, Bella? I do hope so._

"Breathe, Bella, breathe." I whispered.

I carried on carving the meat only letting her out of my hold so she could put the potatoes and vegetables in serving dishes. She finally looked up at me, "I need to take these plates to the table." She said quietly, biting her bottom lip. _Oh, don't do that Bella. I might just do something very stupid._

Alice appeared in the kitchen. She had cleared the table to help Bella. _My family must like her very much to be helping her._ She stood still for a moment watching me carve the meat. I turned to her and smiled not saying a word. _Alice will work it out. She's guessed how I feel about Bella anyway._ Alice put the plates in the sink and went back to the table.

"Don't be long." I whispered to Bella as I finished carving the meat.

She took the warmed plates to the table and returned to the table with the serving dishes. I plated up the slices of beef and poured the gravy into a jug ready for her return. She took these into the dinning room and everyone stopped talking_. Mom must be serving the food. They are all lost for words looking at the meal. So am I when I look at Bella._

They all began talking again as Bella came back to the kitchen. I held my arms out to her. I pulled her to me. "I missed you so much." I whispered as I stroked her hair.

"I need to make the sauce." She said moving towards the hob. I moved with her and stood behind her with my arms around her waist. She turned, when she finished making the sauce, and faced me. _Stay in control Edward. Focus._

"Do you want something to eat?" She whispered into my chest. _If she keeps breathing on me like that I am going to loose control._

"The meal smells wonderful, but you smell so much better." I replied.

I heard the plates being stacked. "I'll get these, Bella." Alice instructed me.

Bella moved out of my hold to go to the fridge. I followed her putting my arm around her waist again.

"Jasper, can you bring out the other dishes please? Bella has to see to the dessert."

Jasper duly obliged and they entered the kitchen together. Jasper almost gasped looking at me standing there with my arm around Bella's waist. Alice shot Jasper a warning look and without a word gestured toward the sink. They set the plates and dishes down. Jasper looked at me and gave a knowing smile. Alice grabbed Jasper's hand leading him back to the dinning room.

"The dessert looks heavenly, Bella." She said as she took her place again.

I whispered into her ear "Yes, Heavenly Bella." and lightly kissed her neck.

Bella took out the dessert plates, forks and spoons and returned to the table with the apple and pear tart and the chocolate sauce. Words of appreciation came from the family as Mom cut into the dessert.

"You are welcome." Bella said quietly. _Yes she is good to my family._

"Do you think we should save a piece for Edward's food parcel?" Emmett said.

_Food parcel? What have they been talking about?_

"Do you think a food parcel from Bella, would even get passed the front desk and safely delivered into his hands?" Dad asked. _That would have been a lovely surprise, as long as Bella had delivered it herself._

A wave of chuckles made its way around the table.

She was back in my arms but whispered that she needed to put the coffee pot on. I let her go again getting a little frustrated with having to let her go all the time. She moved over to the other side of the kitchen and flicked the switch on. She quickly got the tray ready and moved back into my arms. _This is where Bella belongs._

The coffee pot was ready. Once again Alice gathered up the plates and cutlery and Jasper carried out the left over tart and sauce. "Thank you Bella, that was lovely." Alice said as she set down the plates. "There's even a couple of slices left. I really think you deserve to finish that off. Stay here. Jasper can take the coffee out to the living room." She said with a wink. _Thanks sis._

Jasper set down the tart dish and sauce and picked up the tray and they led everyone into the living room.

Bella quickly loaded the dishwasher and got two plates for our dessert. She put the slices of tart on the plates and poured the chocolate sauce over them. We stood looking at each other eating. I watched as she ate each mouthful. I was mesmerized by the shape and movement of her lips. I could not take my eyes away from her lips. _I so want to kiss her right now_. I set my empty plate down and waited for her to finish. Once she had, I took her plate. We didn't need to speak. Our eyes said it all. I pulled her towards me again and put one arm around her waist and cupped her face with my other hand. I kissed her forehead. _Oh, you smell_ _so good._ I then kissed her on her nose and then gently put my lips to her beautiful mouth. _Umm, this is so good. _I slowly pulled away and redirected my kisses to her forehead. She rested her head on my chest._ She feels like she was made for me. She feels so right in my arms._ Our breathing regulated again and for a time we just stood completely lost in our embrace.

I had no idea as to how much time had elapsed but Jasper returned the tray to the kitchen with the empty coffee pot and cups. I understood that to be a signal that the family were now going to bed.

"Good night, Bella. Sleep well." Jasper said, smiling at us.

A round of 'good night' was exchanged between Bella and my family. Finally the house fell still.

"Thank you for the flowers." She whispered into my chest. "They are beautiful."

"You are most welcome, Bella. I meant every word." I said leaning back from her slightly, putting my index finger under her chin and lifting her face up towards mine.

Looking again into her eyes, those beautiful eyes, her breath caught.

"Breathe, Bella, breathe." I said resting my hand on her neck.

She let out a sigh. I moved in touching her lips with mine softly.

_I think I had better stop before this goes too far. I don't want to push her. I want her to tell me when she's ready. Slow down Edward._

I put both of my hands on her shoulders moving away from her slightly. I smiled at her_._

"You still have work in the morning. It's getting late. Can I walk you to your stairs?"

She nodded. I took her hand and carefully led her up the staircase. I hesitated at the top of the stairs. _No Edward, take her to her bedroom, now. _I continued to walk her up the next flight of stairs. Not a word was spoken. _Should I say something? Do I dare to?_

Reaching the last set of stairs, I stopped and turned and pulled her towards me enveloping her in my arms. I gingerly kissed her forehead and stroked her hair and breathed in heavily.

"Good night, Bella. Sleep well. I'm looking forward to tomorrow." I stepped around her to allow her access to the stairs.

"Good night. Sleep well." She said in almost a whisper as she began to walk up to her room. She didn't look back. I watched as her body swayed from side to side as she climbed the stairs. _Oh, that body. She will be the death of me._ She opened the door to her room and then she was gone. I stood there for a moment thinking of going up there to be with her. I missed her already. _Come on Edward, get a grip. You're spending the whole day with her tomorrow. Go to bed. Alone._

End of Chapter

**Authors note;** Please review. Friday's date is on its way.


	11. Chapter 11

**Authors note;**Thank you so much for all of your reviews so far. I am pleased that your are enjoying the story so far and hope that you enjoy this next chapter as much.

**Beta reader;**Thank you NatalieRB for all your encouragement.

**Disclaimer;**I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

_Friday_

The alarm woke me. I hissed at it. I had just got to a very interesting part of my dream. I didn't even have time to daydream and finish it. I threw off the covers annoyed and made my way to the bathroom.

Dressed and ready for the day I made my way downstairs. _Well at least it's Friday. You've survived the week. You didn't get the sack. And you're going out today with Edward!_

I put the coffee pot on and went to the fridge to get together the ingredients for breakfast. _I'll spoil them today. I may as well use up what's left. We're not here until Monday now._

I began to cook. I got totally lost in the whole action of it. I switched the food lamps on and began to place the plates of food under them. To say today's breakfast looked colourful was an understatement. Even though I had cooked it I actually felt like eating some of it today. Hopefully there would be some left over. _Where did that appetite come from?_

They began to drift down, no doubt the smell waking them up before their alarms did.

Emmett arrived first, his stomach awake before the rest of him. He scanned the food on display raising his eyebrows and sighing as if in anguish about where to start. He began with a little of everything. Jasper and Alice joined him choosing their food as if they were children in a candy store.

I took the coffee pot to the table and they sat down. "Thanks, 'goddess'. This is just wonderful." Emmett said with a mouthful of food.

Rosalie appeared and stood looking at the food for a moment. "You did all this, this morning?" she said scanning the buffet before her. "Did you not sleep very well?"

"No, I slept very well, thanks Miss Hale." I replied a little perplexed at her question.

"I just don't know how you do it?" and as an afterthought she added "Please call me Rosalie." By this time she had selected her breakfast and turned to sit at the table.

I stood there a little dumb founded. She had given me permission to call her by her first name! _This is going to be a great day!_

I moved to look to see if the coffee pot needed to be replaced and realized that the others at the table had also heard this exchange. Emmett had stopped eating, Alice was looking at Rosalie shocked at first and then letting a small smile come to her lips. Jasper simply gave me a wink.

I put my brain into gear again and put more coffee on. "Good morning, Bella. You've been busy. Please don't forget yourself will you?" Dr Cullen said as he and his wife walked into the kitchen picking up plates and selecting their food.

"Good morning. Yes, I will have some in a minute." I got a plate and put a couple of slices of French toast on it. I sat to eat and process the fact that the 'grump fest' seemed to be on hold. For now, at least. With the coffee ready I took it to the table and asked if anyone wanted more food. Everyone said yes and returned to the kitchen to refill their plates.

"I suppose we had better leave some for Edward when he gets in." Emmett mused as he filled his plate and returned to the table.

"Yes, you had better," Alice said in a voice that sounded more like a mother than sister. "I heard him come home last night, so he will want something to eat when he gets up. I am quite sure Bella doesn't want to cook again this morning."

"So, Bella what have you got planned for the rest of the day?" Jasper asked as he selected his food.

"I was thinking of seeing some of the sights of Seattle. Charlie said that I need to get a good map and wear sensible shoes. It'll be fun to look around."

"You'll be back in Forks for the morning, won't you?" asked Emmett thinking of his stomach again. He earned himself a nudge in the ribs from Rosalie for that comment.

"Don't worry, I'll travel back early this evening."

"Good." Was all that he was allowed to say.

Mrs Cullen shot him an icy glare. "Bella, Dr Cullen and I will be out for a large part of the day tomorrow with Rosalie and Emmett. Wedding arrangements to see too. So please take the opportunity to a have some more time to yourself. Forks is a rather lovely place. Please make use of the pool or the sauna if you wish and if the weather holds up the garden is lovely just to sit and relax in." Mrs Cullen said.

"Thank you very much Mrs Cullen. I might just do that." I replied looking forward to getting to know the house better.

"Right, if everyone has finished we had better get going and let Bella start to relax."

Dr Cullen addressed them all at the table.

They all brought their empty plates out to me and filed upstairs to get ready for the day.

I started to load the dishwasher, wipe the counter tops down and poured myself a coffee. "Ummm. Could I have one of those please?" Edward said indicating to the coffee, as he entered the kitchen running his hand through his hair and stretching.

I almost completely lost control in those thirty seconds. All I wanted to do was throw my arms around him and smother his face in kisses. I knew I was blushing but realized that I had to gather my senses before the rest of the family would be down again and leave for the day.

"Of course. Would you like anything to eat as well?" I offered as I poured the coffee out.

"Let me see." I handed him a clean plate and he stood looking at the food intently.

He began to fill his plate and sat down on a barstool. I sat on the other barstool making sure it was a couple of feet away from him. The family would be down soon to go to work. Our proximity was upper most in my thoughts. Distance and relaxed conversation. _That's it Bella, relax._

The family began to filter down stairs. Seeing Edward, they greeted him warmly and asked about his shift. He said that he was intending to spend the weekend at Forks to relax and recuperate. They would see him Sunday. We wished each other a good day and they left.

He turned to me and reached out for my hand taking it in both of his. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "So are you all done here?" he glanced around the kitchen.

"Yes, I'll just put the last plates and cups in the dishwasher and go and get changed.

I'll pack a few things to take back to Forks." I gave him a small smile and stood up to collect the plates and cups.

"Can we use your car to get around today and for the journey to Forks? There seems little point in taking two cars. I'll travel back with you Monday morning." He said.

"Of course, you can drive as you know where we are going today. I'll be able to take in the sights. I'll go and pack." I tried to sound relaxed and not too eager.

I made my way upstairs and quickly changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a clean blouse and let my hair down giving it a good brush through and packed the essentials for the Forks house. I decided to take the flowers with me to Forks and made my way downstairs. I carried everything down as carefully as I could. I wrapped the flowers in a large bag I found in a drawer and filled the bottom of the bag with water and tied it securely.

Edward arrived in the kitchen freshly showered and changed, ready for the day. I heard him take a deep breath as he looked at me and then he looked at the flowers and smiled.

"I thought I would take them with me for the weekend so that I could still enjoy them. They're so lovely."

Without speaking he collected my things and I grabbed my jacket and we left the house to begin our day together. I actually had no idea where we were going today. It was quite nice being in the dark about the arrangements for the day. My whole week had been spent organising the meals and thinking ahead so this I decided was the start of my time off.

Once outside I handed him the keys. He scooted round to the passenger side and held the door open for me. "Why, thank you kind sir." I said giving a little nod.

"You are most welcome, ma'am." He answered. He gave me one of those smiles. Good thing I was sitting down at the time.

He got behind the wheel and brought the car to life, pulling out of the drive and headed to the centre of Seattle. The weather held out for most of the day. We spent most of the morning at the market. Lunch was a coffee and snack at Starbucks followed by a trip down the river. Dinner was at a little Italian place run by a lovely family. He had been going there for a couple of years since discovering it by pure chance.

Edward was greeted warmly and we were seated at a table a little hidden away and not too close to the kitchen. We scanned through the menu and decided on mushroom ravioli and Tiramisu for dessert.

"So have you enjoyed the day?" He began leaning a little across the table. His eyes were darker now in the dim lighting, they were like rich emeralds searching my face.

"Umm yes. It's always better to sightsee with someone who knows the place. I'm sure I would have wasted a lot of time getting lost." I said lightly trying not to focus on his eyes. The pit of my stomach was reacting like crazy and the temptation to touch him was just too much.

"It's your company I enjoy the most. You are so easy to be around. Not complicated.

It's very easy to be relaxed around you." He said reaching out for my hand, tracing circles on the back of it with his thumb.

Our meal arrived and we began to eat. As we still had the drive back to Forks this evening, Edward opted for water at the table. "We can share a bottle of wine at the weekend." He said. _So, we will be spending time together in Forks!_

The conversation was mostly about Emmett and Rosalie's forthcoming wedding in August. He explained that they had been together for a few years. Rosalie had a rather bad relationship with someone else which had made her a little cautious about jumping in with both feet this time. But there was no denying that they belonged together. They worked well together in the business and Rosalie was the only person aside from his mother who could keep him in check. Emmett was not going to change for anyone so it was a simple matter of finding someone strong enough to handle him. Rosalie was that person and Emmett was exactly what Rosalie needed. Faithful, honest and dependable and he loved her completely.

With the meal finished it was time to head to Forks. It had started to rain but the car was only parked a short distance down the road. Safely inside it, Edward turned to me and reached out for my hand. "Thank you for a lovely day, Bella." As he spoke he lifted my hand to his lips and gently kissed my palm looking up at me through his lashes. My heart began to pound and my cheeks blush. I had to shut my eyes as the sensation in the pit of my stomach made my breath hitch. I felt his lips gently touch mine making me gasp a little.

"Breathe Bella, breathe." He said in a whisper, his breath blowing over my face gently. I smiled a little at the intimacy of the moment and opened my eyes as I sensed him move back and put my hand down in my lap. He started the car up and negotiated the city roads with ease. Once out on the highway he reached over and stroked the top of my hand occasionally. Each time the tingling sensation gave away how it made me feel. Breathing deeply was all I could do. I had very little control right now and was thankful that we were not stopping until we got to Forks. The journey was silent. Occasional glances at each other with him grinning at me and my face blushing in response was about the total of our 'conversation'. We didn't need to talk it was all in our body language.

We arrived at the Forks house around 10.00. He opened the car door for me and gathered my things together as I waited by the front door. Once inside the dimly lit hallway he took my hand and the flowers and we made our way to the kitchen.

"Let's find a vase for these, shall we?" We looked in a couple of cupboards and found one a suitable size to hold the flowers. "I'll help you with all of this up to your room. Is that okay?" he asked and all I could do was nod.

The house was quiet. He flicked on lights for the stairs as we made our way up. My mind was racing by this time. _I don't know if I'm ready for anything else. I'm going to end up making a fool of myself. I will end up ruining this._

"Where would you like to put them?" he was filling up the vase with water by this time. I hadn't even realised that we were standing in my kitchen.

"Oh, yes. I'll put them in the bedroom. They will make the room smell lovely." He set the vase down and I unwrapped the flowers and arranged them. _What do I do now?_

All thoughts vanished from my head. He moved forward and gently turned me toward him with his hands on my hips. My stomach twitched at the sensation. He slowly brushed one hand up my body to finally bring it to my face cupping it and tilting my face up to his. I watched as his face moved closer to mine. _He needs to be_ _arrested right now for what he is doing to me with those eyes._

My eyes could no longer stay open as I felt his breath centre on my lips. He pressed them gently against mine. His hand moved from my face into my hair and just for a moment I felt him pull away. I opened my eyes seeing him look at my hair and gently pull his fingers through it sweeping it away from my face.

"I've wanted to do that all day." He breathed and he leaned in again. I closed my eyes again. He pressed his lips against mine harder this time and I responded. His scent swirled around my head making me feel light headed. Breathing was becoming a problem as there were too many things to process.

I had never been kissed like this before, what was I supposed to do? _Relax, Bella just relax._ I did. My lips parted and his tongue entered gently seeking mine. I brought up my hands to his face and pulled him closer into me. He gave a low groan. _I made him do that. Me, Bella Swan_.

His hand on my hip moved around to the small of my back pulling this area of our bodies in, matching the closeness of the rest. I let out a small gasp. The close proximity of him was something I had thought about often in the last few days. But this was it, really happening. Now. He pulled his mouth away slowly giving me a light kiss on the tip of my nose. I brought my hands down from his face and rested them on his chest. I could feel his heart beating hard and his breath laboured like mine. I gave a sigh as I could feel his body shift from me slightly and opened my eyes.

"I'll see you in the morning, Bella. We'll spend the day together. I'll take you somewhere special. Sleep well." He said turning and leaving the kitchen and me.

I stood, slowly getting my thoughts back together. I felt the sensations in my body slowly ebb away and I cooled down and shivered. My arms felt too weak to pick up the vase of flowers. _Leave them in the kitchen for tonight._ I could feel the warmth on my lips where his had been. The feeling of his body pressed against mine, now imprinted on my mind._ Get yourself to bed, Bella. Tomorrow is another day. _I slept very well.

End of Chapter

**Authors note; **So, please review and let me know how you felt about this chapter.I am thinking of having a guest to dinner for the Wednesday chapter. Who do you think it should be? I have thought either Mike Newton or Jacob Black. Which way would you like things to go? I look forward to reading your ideas. Take care.


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors note;** Let me begin by saying that this is not the EdwardPOV that I was going to post. A reviewer pointed out that my other POVs were not good enough (my interpretation). So I thought about it and decided that I should, if I could, change my style of POV. Here it is, the revised version of my original. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope that I get some feed back from you as to whether you liked it or not. You see, I did say before, that I like to read your ideas on the chapters, good or bad. I do read them and I have not remained inactive. Even at my age I am willing to learn and hopefully improve my story writing.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks to Natalie who has given the thumbs up for this chapter.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight, but I love it.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday

Edward POV

It had been quite a while since I had spent anytime in Seattle just hanging out. Seattle to me meant two things. Work and resting at the city house. Actually going anywhere in town for pleasure had become a very unappealing thing to do.

Today was going to be very different. I was going to spend the day with Bella. I would get to take her to some of the interesting places, for her to see and experience. I originally had the whole day planned but decided to just let the day unfold at its own pace. The truth was I didn't care where I was as long as Bella was there with me.

I absorbed even the smallest amount of information about her. As we walked through the market I watched as she looked at things with wide expressive eyes or her light laughter at some silly joke I made. I was fascinated with her. She made me feel so relaxed. I didn't need to pretend that I enjoyed her company; I genuinely did. So many times in previous relationships, I had felt guarded, watching for clues of a sudden change in mood or the feeling that I was just not doing things right. But not with Bella.

The morning seemed to go so quickly. We made the decision to stop for lunch and found a Starbucks to satisfy the need for a sandwich and caffeine boost. After I suggested a trip down the river knowing that even if the weather did decide to change for the worst, we would still be undercover. She responded to the idea with enthusiasm. Most women would have shied away from the suggestion citing that their hair would get messed up or that they would feel sea sick. No, not Bella. Bella embraced everything that was new to her and seemed to genuinely enjoy every minute of it.

She listened intently as I pointed out the sights of the city from the boat. It gave me the opportunity to move in closer to her, my arm around her shoulder, in order to point out and share with her my line of sight. Her small frame fitted perfectly into my side and I furtively took in the scent of her hair as it blew around her face in the wind.

Having done a round trip, we ditched the boat and headed back to the car, passing a few more places of interest. It was time to make a decision about where to eat for our evening meal. Bella happily left that up to me. I knew exactly where I wanted to take her. A family run Italian restaurant. Half a dozen streets later I managed to park within walking distance of it. I explained to her that I had discovered the restaurant by pure chance a couple of years ago.

We were greeted warmly and ushered to a table in a more secluded part of the room but far enough away from the kitchen. Bella spends enough time in one during the week. She didn't need to be reminded of one now.

Sitting across the table from her was the ideal opportunity for me to look at her undisturbed for the first time since this morning at breakfast. Her eyes were pools of liquid chocolate under the soft lighting; to dive into and easily drown. A slight blush came to her cheeks as I held her hand on the table thumbing circles on it. Her skin was so soft and her hand so small under mine. Her lips mesmerised me as they moved to speak and eat. I was intoxicated by her. Being with her was becoming a habit I knew I would not be able to give up. Even if I tried.

After chatting happily during the meal, the journey to Forks was silent. With anyone else I would have felt obliged to make conversation on a topic I thought might interest them. With Bella, words were not necessary. We seemed to have an unspoken understanding of each other.

The house was dark when we arrived, just a porch light on to help find the key hole.

Our first priority was to find a vase for the flowers. I thought it was sweet that she wanted to bring them with her. It made me think that maybe flowers were not something that she had been given very often. They were a novelty and she wanted to enjoy them for as long as possible. It made me smile that such a simple gesture on my part was so appreciated. I wanted to shower her with gifts. She deserved so much more than just a bunch of flowers. But if she wasn't used to being spoiled I would have to be careful and not overwhelm her.

I could see in her eyes that she was very tired. The early start this morning, the walking and fresh air, all factors that made her now look weary.

I helped carry her things up to her rooms. We stood in her kitchen as she unwrapped the flowers and arranged them in the vase with care.

I wanted to show her how much I had enjoyed her company. I kissed her gently, not demanding anything from her. All day I wanted to run my fingers through her hair. I satisfied this need now and felt how soft and silky it was, my spine tingled at the sensation. Kissing her again, her lips parted granting me entry as my tongue gently sought hers. She responded by holding my face in her hands pulling me closer still. I gave a low groan. She was driving me mad. I put my hand into the small of her back and pulled her closer to my body. She gasped. I released that if I didn't stop now there would be regrets in the morning. I want to take things at her pace. I must behave like a gentleman and not take advantage of the situation.

With great resolve I did. I gave her one last chaste kiss on her mouth and she rested her head on my chest. I felt her heart beating hard like mine. Our breathing evened out and I knew that it would be safe to leave her now that she was a little more composed. She sighed and opened her eyes allowing me one last glimpse into heaven for the day.

I wanted her so badly. But I had to resist. The wait would be worth it. I knew how I felt about her. Am I moving too fast? As yet she had not said or done anything, to make me think I was. There was plenty of time. I had already planned the day for tomorrow. Whether my family were here or not, we were going to go out and spend some quiet time together at my special place.

I said goodnight and left her standing in the kitchen. I had to get out of there before I weakened. Once in my bed I felt lonely without her touch and yet the feeling of her body pressed against mine was now imprinted in my mind. She featured in all aspects of my dreams that night.

End of Chapter

Authors note; Please review.


	13. Chapter 13

**Authors note; ** Thank you all for your continued support in this story; reading, reviewing and adding this story to your Favourites and Story Alerts. You are very kind and encouraging. I hope this next chapter meets with your expectations.

**Beta reader; **Thank you Natalie RB.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

_Saturday_

I didn't wake up until 8.00. It was dry this morning. I showered and dressed and dried my hair leaving it down today. _I don't think I_ _will have it cut._ I remembered how his fingers ran through my hair the night before. _It felt really good when he did that._

I went to the kitchen to put the coffee pot on, made myself some toast and waited for a while. Dr and Mrs Cullen were the first to arrive in the kitchen. We greeted each other and I poured them coffee. They requested pancakes today and made their way into the breakfast room.

"How was the rest of your day yesterday, Bella?" Dr Cullen asked as I busied myself making the batter.

"Oh, just fine, thank you. I think I might visit again next week and do some more sightseeing." I answered allowing enough time for my blush to subside.

"We shall be out of the house once Emmett and Rosalie are ready. We need to double check on the venue and the seating arrangements today. So with Alice and Jasper away the day is yours." Mrs Cullen said cheerfully. _Wonderful._

The coffee aroma had reached Emmett's nose by this time and he arrived in the kitchen followed by Rosalie. They both nodded at the suggestion of pancakes for breakfast. I laid the table and cooked and plated up. Conversation was kept short as they had to get to the first appointment.

With breakfast over, I began to clear the table. In no time the house was silent. I poured myself a coffee and hardly noticed Edward walking into the room as I was daydreaming by this time.

"Good morning, beautiful." He said planting a kiss on my cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, after all the walking we did yesterday." I answered.

"Well we're going to do a little more today." He said looking at me in anticipation.

"Oh, where are we going?" I asked a little hesitant.

"A special place. You'll see." He looked out of the French doors as he spoke.

"Would you like something to eat?" I asked as I walked towards the kitchen.

"No, you sit down. I can do that myself. You're not working for the rest of the day." He took me by the hand and sat me down at the table again.

I watched him as he made his breakfast. I was completely lost in watching him bending and reaching and standing still. His body moved so freely. _His body that was so close to mine last night. Ohhh._ I could feel myself blush.

"What are you thinking about, Bella?" He said incredulously as he walked over to the table with his breakfast.

He broke me out of my daydream. "I don't think I can say." I whispered.

He looked into my eyes and smiled. "I'd love to be able to read your mind right now." He said wistfully. A short time later he took the dirty dishes to the dishwasher.

"You've got ten minutes before we go, Bella. Is that enough time to get ready?"

"I just need to get shoes and a jacket." I replied.

"Make sure they are trainers." He called as I went upstairs.

_Trainers! I hope we're not going for a run. I don't think my legs could take it._

I arrived back downstairs, trainers on and jacket on my arm. As I walked into the kitchen he was busy packing food into a bag. _Don't think about it, Bella. Just enjoy the day._

He took my hand and led me to the car. With everything packed in the boot, we drove off. We had only travelled a couple of miles when he parked the car up a dirt track. He retrieved the bag, my jacket and a blanket from the boot.

"Right let's go shall we? Hold my hand so I can keep you steady. It may take a little while to get there, but it's worth it." He said giving me one of his knee weakening grins. _Stop doing that!_

I took a deep breath and we started our walk. As we entered deeper into the forest, I couldn't hear the main road anymore. The forest was alive with the sound of birdsong.

The leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze and everything smelt fresh after the rain during the night. I held on to Edwards' hand as we picked our way through the trees keeping a steady pace. I had to stop a couple of times just pausing long enough to catch my breath. I felt like I was holding him back but he was very patient.

Some time later he let go of my hand and gestured for me to walk ahead of him. I did so without any hesitation. I could see that just a short distance in front the sun was streaming through the trees. I walked forward into a clearing. The sun shone on the grass displaying wild flowers growing everywhere. It was beautiful, almost magical. I stood very still taking in the sight.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Edward was standing next to me now, looking at me.

"Oh, yes, it really is. Is this the special place?"

"Yeah. I come up here when I need to get away from it all. It's so peaceful." He said as he arranged the blanket on the ground and set the bag in one corner.

"Come and sit down, Bella." He said patting the blanket.

I had no hesitation. I sat down looking around the line of trees. It was a perfect place.

He reached out for my hand and kissed my palm. He made me shiver with the delicate touch of his lips.

"You are the first person I have ever shown this place to." He looked deep into my eyes. I blushed and he smiled. "It feels right having you here with me."

I don't know what happened to me but suddenly I leaned over to him and kissed him gently. He responded with another kiss and ran his fingers through the length of my hair. I shuddered and gave out a small gasp. He pulled back from me and rested his forehead on mine breathing deeply in unison. He moved away still holding my hand and reached over for the bag.

"I brought lunch. Nothing too grand but it should give us the energy for the walk back later." He began to take out the food and set it on the blanket.

"This is lovely. I haven't been on a picnic in years. You think of everything, don't you?" I said filling my plate.

"I want to get this right, Bella. I want to make you happy." _You don't know how much you do make me happy. _

"Why is this so important to you?" I asked as my eyes held his gaze.

"Bella I haven't stopped thinking about you since the first day I met you. I know we've only just met but that's how it is." He lowered his face and held my hand tracing circles against my palm with his thumb.

"But I'm just the cook. I'm no one special." I said with a little laugh.

"Oh, but you are Bella. You are very special to me." He raised his face and looked me in the eyes again. _Oh, please don't look at me like that, I might just…_

"I don't get it. You could have anyone you choose." I said breaking away from his gaze.

"That maybe, but I choose you. You underestimate yourself Bella." He put a finger under my chin and turned my head towards his.

"No I don't. I'm just the cook not a super model." My feeling of inadequacy began to make my eyes sting with tears.

"I think that's one of the things I find so attractive. You don't crave to be the centre of attention like Rosalie. You even get embarrassed when we pay you compliments about the food you cook." He said gently still holding my face to him.

"Well I'm just not used to it, that's all." I lowered my eyes and felt my face redden.

"You've never been really appreciated." He said as a statement.

"My parents love me." I retorted and looked into his eyes again.

"I have no doubt they do, but now you should let someone else love you." He said almost whispering.

"I'm very lucky to have this job. I don't want to loose it." I said lowering my eyes from his hypnotising gaze.

"And we are lucky to have you. I am lucky to have found you. You're not going anywhere." He said in a reassuring voice.

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. His scent was making my head spin.

"I was hurt badly a while ago." He began. "I buried myself in my work to help me to forget. But I didn't forget not until I met you." He said kissing my temple.

"I'm sorry it ended badly. You must have loved her very much." My heart was beginning to race at his gentle touch.

"Actually I don't think I did love her. She never made me feel the way you make me feel." He said planting a soft kiss on my cheek. "I didn't feel the need to re-arrange my shifts in order to fit in with her social life."

"But you love your job." I retorted. I subconsciously shifted my body to face him.

"Yes I do. It is all I have ever wanted to do. But now I want to come home. I want to be around you." He said kissing the tip of my nose and mirroring my movement.

"I like having you around too." I said blushing again.

"Good because unless you tell me to go away I won't be spending any longer than I have to away from you." He pulled his face away slightly and I looked back into his eyes. They were emerald green now and very dangerous.

"I can't imagine you doing anything bad enough for me to tell you to leave me alone." I said as I leaned into him.

"I will never hurt you Bella. You are too precious to me." He said cupping my face in both his hands.

I felt his breath flow over my lips making the pit of the stomach twitch. He gently brushed my lips with his and drew his tongue along my bottom lip. I reached out and placed my hands on either side of his waist. He let out a small sigh in response. His lips pressed harder against mine now willing me to part mine. I granted him entry and he moaned as his tongue found mine. His hands moved from my face into my hair, balling his fists into it holding me closer still. I moaned into his mouth with a wave of breathlessness washing over me. My nails dug into his waist causing him to growl into my mouth. It must have been too much for him because he pulled away just far enough to rest his forehead on mine breathing deeply, his lips wet from our kiss.

As my heartbeat regulated and our breathing eased I moved to sit again and held his hand.

"Do you see what you do to me Bella? It would be so easy for me to loose control."

"Would that be so bad?" I said looking down at our entwined hands.

"Yes, if you're not ready yet. I don't want to do anything to scare you away."

"How could I be scared when you are so gentle and patient with me? You are more than I deserve." I said lowering my voice to a whisper.

"Then that makes two of us. I don't deserve you. We deserve each other then, don't we?"

I smiled at him and lay down on the blanket to enjoy the warm sun on my face. He lay down beside me resting his arm across my stomach. I felt so warm and comfortable that I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up I was a little startled at my surroundings. I have never slept during the day before. I had never had the luxury until now. I looked over to Edward. He was propped up on his side looking at me, smiling.

"Do you know that you talk in your sleep?" He said with a wide grin. I blushed.

"Oh, no! What did I say?" I felt mortified.

"My name. Only about four times. What were you dreaming of?"

"Well, you of course! But please don't push me on that one. I think I would die telling you." I said poking him in the chest.

"Okay I won't. It was lovely to hear you say my name. I'll have to think of things to do so that you say my name when you're awake."

"Sounds like fun." I said giggling.

"Oh, it will be." He looked at his watch and sighed. "We'll have to start making our way back now." He said as he began to pack the things away. I stood up and stretched feeling totally relaxed now and very happy.

With everything packed in the bag, the blanket folded and draped over his arm, Edward grabbed my hand and we began to head for the car. I didn't have a clue if we were going in the right direction but I trusted him and followed. Sure enough a while later we reached the car and drove back to the house.

The house was very quiet.

"Well, looks like they decided to stay in town and eat out." He said flicking light switches on making his way to the kitchen. "I'll unpack the bag. Would you like something to drink?

"A tea please."

"Here's a note from Angela. She's stocked up the fridge." He held the note up waving it in the air.

"I'll go and freshen up. I'll be back soon." I said smiling at him.

While I was upstairs I could hear the piano being played. _He plays piano as well!_

I made my way downstairs and walked into the music room. He looked up and stopped playing.

"Oh, please don't stop. It sounded wonderful. I wondered who the pianist was out of all of you."

He smiled and started to play again. The style of the music was Mozart but I wasn't entirely sure. Our cups of tea were on a small table by a window and I went over and sat down in a comfy chair with my legs tucked under me. I sipped at the tea I listened contentedly. _This has been a perfect day._

He finished the piece and sat still for a moment running his fingers through his hair.

_What are you thinking about?_ He then made his way over to the small table and drank his tea. I watched as he made his way back to the piano and he began to play again. He was completely lost in the music. His fingers ran over the keys without effort. The piece was gentle and soothing almost like a lullaby. Then he stopped abruptly.

"That was lovely. Why did you stop?" I said in a disappointed tone.

"It's a piece in progress, Bella. I'll have to work on the ending." He said turning to face me.

"You composed that yourself? Is there no end to your talents?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"You're the person who has inspired me. I used to write small pieces when I was younger but I haven't done so in years."

"I don't know what to say. No one has ever done that for me." I said quietly.

He stood up and walked over to me. "No one has ever inspired me before to compose a piece like that." He said looking into my face.

He leaned down to me and kissed my forehead.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

_Oh, yes but not for food._

"A little. What would you like?" I replied getting up from the chair.

"No, I'm cooking remember? Let's go and see what Angela has put in the fridge."

He took my hand and we made our way to the kitchen and he sat me down on a chair at the table. _The perfect place from where I can watch you._

"We have got eggs," He began. "Peppers, mushrooms, some cherry tomatoes. How about a Spanish omelette?"

"That sounds great. Are you sure you don't want some help?" I asked knowing the answer. _I'd rather stay here and watch you working in a kitchen. Somehow it's very sexy._

"Positive. I'll have these done in no time."

I watched as he prepared the meal. He started to hum the lullaby to himself as if he was trying to work out how to finish it.

"There you go. One Spanish omelette for my beautiful Bella." He announced bringing the plate in and placing it on the table in front of me.

"That looks and smells delicious. Thank you." I began to eat, feeling very hungry by this time.

He returned with his plate and we sat in silence looking at each other across the table. When we finished he cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. He took a bottle of wine out of the fridge and two glasses from the cupboard, put a cork screw in his trouser pocket and came over to me and took my hand. He led me to the living room.

"Make yourself comfortable, Bella." He said switching on only one light giving the room a soft glow.

The cream couch was huge and felt like it was hugging me as I sat down. He put the wine glasses on the coffee table and uncorked the bottle. He filled the glasses and handed me one as he sat down next to me. I took a sip.

"Do you like it?" He asked hopefully.

"Umm, yes. I prefer white to red. I usually get a headache with red wine."

"I'll make a note of that. Are there any foods you don't like?" He asked.

"Well, I can't think of any." I said wandering where this was leading too.

"That's okay then. I just wanted to know for the next time I feel like taking over in the kitchen." He looked at me and grinned.

"You can take over anytime as long as its not when I'm on duty." I said trying to sound stern.

"Deal." He answered.

He put out his hand to shake on the deal. I put out my hand, he didn't let go and pulled me towards him. His eyes were emeralds again. I couldn't work out if it was the dim lighting or the closeness of our bodies. _It doesn't matter, Bella. Just kiss him._ And I did.

_What are you doing Bella?_ I pressed harder on his lips with mine. He pulled away for a moment taking my wine glass and placing it on the table.

"Now, where were we?" He said leaning into me again.

"I think we got to about here." I pressed my lips to his again.

He put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me gently towards his body. I parted my lips allowing his tongue entry. I moved my tongue around his so forcefully I took myself by surprise. _What has come over you, Bella?_ _Ease up. You're not ready. _I placed my hands gently on his chest and ran my hands down to the hem of his T-shirt and lifted it slightly placing my hands on his waist. He gasped a little. _I think my hands are a little bit too cold. He is so warm._ The pit of my stomach was actually aching for him now. I needed to stop. I needed to think_. _I pulled away from our kiss and he gave a deep sigh as I leant my head on his chest. I took in the scent of him and composed myself.

"What are you thinking?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Oh, just how great you are and how patient."

"You take all the time you need, Bella. I'm not going anywhere." He reached to the coffee table and picked up my glass and passed it to me. I took another sip and settled back into the couch feeling very content.

Edward reached for his glass and took a long drink from it and settled himself into the couch, stretching his body out to its full extent. I couldn't help but look at him from the top of his head to the tip of his shoes. All of him was just breathtaking. I spoke then, without thinking.

"So what are you going to do with your day tomorrow?" I blushed and tried to hide my face behind my hair bringing the glass up to my face to drink at the same time.

_Idiot Bella. Think before you open your mouth. _

"Well, I think it would be a good idea just to relax. We could go for a swim or sit in the Jacuzzi if you want. We also have a sauna. I'll probably do a work out first thing. What do you think?"

"Oh, I thought you might be going out somewhere." I said surprised.

He simply shook his head and said in a deliberate tone . "I said I want to spend as much time with you as I can and I meant it. Shall we spend some time by the pool then?" he was looking at me intently.

"Yes, that would be lovely. A great way to relax." _And a great way of seeing more of you. Where did that thought come from Bella Swan? _

I took a mouthful of wine appreciating its sweetness. It didn't seem at all awkward when we didn't talk. I didn't feel the need to have to make conversation. He looked over to my almost empty glass and filled it up again.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" I asked.

"Definitely not." He said with a surprised look on his face but a grin that gave way his true thoughts. "You're relaxing just fine without being plied with alcohol."

"I know. You're very good company."

I moved over towards him and rested my head on his shoulder. We sat in total silence again.

"Edward, are you in here?" Emmett's voice boomed out as he pushed open the living room door.

We both quickly straightened up on the couch.

"Yes, Emmett. We're in here." He looked at me rolling his eyes.

I let out a little giggle and composed myself for the inevitable.

Emmett stood in the doorway frozen. "Wow. I thought you had someone else in here with you. Hi Bella." He said sounding surprised.

"Hi Emmett." I replied smiling at him.

"Sooo, you having a little drink are you?" Emmett grinned and walked a few steps forward.

"Yep. I was just making Bella feel welcome." Edward said taking another mouthful of wine.

"Okay. So you been relaxing and recuperating have you?" Emmett asked trying to steer the conversation down a road we were not going to bother with.

Rosalie by this time was also in the room looking at Edward first and then over to me.

_Is the grump fest back on? I was doing so well to win her over as well._

"Emmett they are both adults. Now come on and take me to bed. My feet are killing me." She said sharply, taking off her high heels.

"Okay, my love." Emmett said putting his arm around her waist. " Edward don't keep Bella up too long, will you. I might just be very hungry in the morning." He said with a wink.

"Emmett, come on now." Rosalie hissed at him pulling his arm and dragging him out of the room.

Dr and Mrs Cullen called out from the hallway "Good night Edward. Good night Bella."

"Good night." We both said in unison.

I started to giggle. "What's so funny?" Edward turned to me and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm just relieved that Rosalie didn't react the way I expected her to."

"Right. She is just a little over-protective of the family."

"Don't worry, I understand. I would be too. I think I'll go to bed now. It has been a long day and I do have to get up in the morning to see to the needs of Emmett's stomach." I said smiling again.

"Can I walk you up?" He asked and stood up holding out his hand to me.

"That would be nice." I replied, standing up and taking his hand.

Edward gathered up the wine bottle and glasses and took them to the kitchen. I followed him turning out the light in the living room.

Once we were in the kitchen he washed up the glasses by hand and I grabbed a glass cloth and dried them. He took my hand and led me up the stairs to the first floor and continued to the next set of stairs. We stood still and he leaned down to kiss my lips very softly.

"See you in the morning, Bella. Sleep well." He said gently.

"Thank you for a lovely day. Sleep well." I replied.

"No, Thank you for a wonderful day, Bella." He insisted and ran his hand down my arm before holding my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

And we went to bed. Our separate ones.

End of Chapter

Authors note; Whether you are happy or not with this chapter, please review and let me know. The more you reviews, the more I am eager to carry on. Take care.


	14. Chapter 14

**Authors note; **Many thanks to all of you who kindly reviewed the last chapter. I really do appreciate that you take the time to do so. I am so pleased that so many people are enjoying this story.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for your continued help.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

Edward POV

My senses were woken up by the smell of fresh coffee. I opened my eyes and smiled. Bella is up. I imagined her walking around the kitchen busy making breakfast for my family. I shut my eyes to picture her face. Umm that blush is something else. I could feel the tension building in my body and hauled myself up too the bathroom. A nice cool shower will keep things in check. Not thinking about her was not an option today.

I had planned to take her into the forest today. As I dried myself off and roughly dried my hair, I peeked through the curtains to see that so far the weather was holding out. Good, I could go ahead with today. I threw on a pair a jeans and a T-shirt, combed through my hair to get it in some sort of order and made my way downstairs. I heard my family getting ready to leave. They would be out all day not doubt. Bella and I will have the house to ourselves for most of the day.

I realise I have to take things gently but keeping my feelings for her hidden from my parents and Rosalie and Emmett is going to be hard. Whenever I'm around her I can't stop looking at her and all I want to do is touch her. Well at least today I can do just that.

I walked into the kitchen and there she was. She was standing in front of the sink looking out of the window. She didn't move as I approached. I kissed her cheek. God, she smelt good. My beautiful Bella.

It was time to set my plan into action. I had decided yesterday that Bella would not be doing anything involving her job today. So that meant making my own breakfast and organising the picnic. When I sat down to eat breakfast she seemed to have her mind on other things. I'd love to know what she was thinking about. Maybe when we get to know each other a little more she might share these thoughts with me. For now I could only guess what was going on in her mind.

With breakfast out of the way I told her that I planned to leave as soon as possible. The day was dry now but in no time at all the weather could turn and then my plans would have to be shelved. Without any hesitation Bella went to get ready, giving me time to put some food together to take with us. This immediate response from her made me smile. She trusted me. That must be it. Any other woman would have fired twenty questions at me before even dreaming of getting ready without being asked twice. I smiled at this realisation. The important thing now is not to break that trust she has in me. That would ruin everything. I had to take a deep breath to push that thought out of the way.

Our destination was almost in sight when I pulled up at the dirt track. I could feel the excitement building in my chest. I had never shown anyone this place before. I hoped that she would love it as much as I did. I wanted to build memories that were special to us. Exclusive to us. As we walked holding hands, I slowed down in order that she could keep pace with me. Everything I do now is to keep pace with her. I had a new mind set. If I was going to keep Bella in my life, this is what I would have to do. It felt good. How I used to be around women was now gone. I had changed and it was for the better.

We finally arrived at a point close to the place. I wanted to see her reaction to looking at it for the first time. As she walked ahead and stood in the clearing I watched her, carefully. She didn't say a word. Maybe she didn't like it or was disappointed that it wasn't something more. I couldn't tell. So I prompted her to speak. The answer she gave was what I had hoped to hear. She loved it. Her eyes scanned the area looking at the flowers and the line of trees.

I quickly laid out the blanket so that she could sit down and rest. As she did I kissed the palm of her hand. My lips tingled at the touch of her skin. She seemed to melt at my confession that I had not shown anyone else this place. I had always kept this place a secret but now with Bella here, I was glad that I had shared it with her. It felt so right.

I didn't expect her to kiss me. She made the first move and I quickly responded with another kiss. I ran my fingers through her hair. I had to keep myself in check. If I didn't pull away now I would spoil things. She definitely didn't know what she was doing to me and I was not about to announce it to her.

I distracted myself by unpacking the bag of food. I had to tell her how I felt about her so I took the plunge and told her straight that I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her reaction surprised me. She seemed to think that she was not good enough for me. Why does she think so little of herself? If only she could see what I see. This beautiful creature in front of me, thought that she didn't deserve the feelings I had for her. Silly Bella.

All these fears she had about not being good enough for me and not looking like some super model. Did she really think I was that shallow? I suddenly realised that she was right. I had always gone for the looks first. And see were that got me! With Bella there was something more than just her lovely face. It was the depth of her beauty, right to her very soul that made her so wonderful to me. I had to reassure her that she had changed me like no other woman had. When I explained my feelings to her as best I could I realised that I could never hurt her. I would rather die that hurt her.

To say the kiss we shared then, blew my mind away is an understatement. The emotions she stirred in me could have easily led me to taking her then and there. I realised that she had taken another step forward by showing how much she desired me. I kept telling myself that there was no rush. I had to get this right. There was too much to loose.

We laid down together watching the clouds overhead. I looked over to her and realised that she had fallen asleep. The week must have caught up with her. I decided to just leave her to rest. I watched her eyelids as they fluttered. She was dreaming. Moments later she said my name. She was dreaming about me. My name came to her lips again. My heart pounded. My name was so ordinary but when she said it she brought it to life. Just like she had brought me to life again. It sounded wonderful. How can I make her say my name when she's awake? That would be a very interesting challenge. I smiled to myself as she moaned softly and spoke my name again and again. God, I really hope that one day I can live up to that dream.

She began to wake up looking a little startled at her surroundings at first. I couldn't resist telling her that she talked in her slee, and that she had said my name but she wouldn't talk about the dream. For now that was too embarrassing for her to do.

Our time in the meadow was up. We would have to make our way back before it began to get dark. I packed everything up and took her hand again. I promised myself that I would be bringing Bella here again very soon.

We arrived back at the house and thankfully no one was in. I unpacked and made tea. The fridge had been stocked up as well, while we were out. Bella went to freshen up.

For the first time in quite a while I wanted to play my piano. I took the cups of tea with me and set them on a table. I lifted the piano lid, sat down and began to play.

I realised that it had been too long since I spent time doing this.

Bella walked in breaking me out of my thoughts. She asked me to continue. I did but now I had a different tune in my head. It was something that flowed easily as I thought of her in the meadow. I was lost in the music for a moment but then stopped not able to finish it. I would have to work on that ending. Bella seemed flattered that I was composing a piece inspired by her.

After we had something to eat I decided that now was a good time to share a bottle of wine. We could relax and get to know each other a little more. I didn't want the day to end just yet. It turned out that I had chosen the correct wine as she confessed that red wine gave her a headache. We came to an agreement about me helping in the kitchen whenever we were alone. We sealed the deal with a handshake a good excuse to touch her again.

The reaction I got surprised me. She kissed me. I took the glass of wine out of her hand and placed it on the table. I pulled her towards me and kissed her. She rested her hands on my waist. Feeling her hands on my skin just there made me shiver a little. The desire she showed me in that kiss made me hope that she would be ready soon.

I pulled away satisfied that I was allowing her to dictate the pace.

I made sure that I told her I wanted to spend the day with her tomorrow. Somehow I would do that even if my family were around. We agreed on relaxing at home and going for a swim. We shared a moment of comfortable silence as she rested her head on my shoulder.

It didn't last long. Emmett's voice boomed out calling my name as he walked into the lounge. Bella quickly moved away from me. As Emmett stood in the doorway, his face was a picture! I don't know if my excuse of making Bella feel welcome exactly satisfied his curiosity or not. I didn't have the patience to deal with him now. As usual he wouldn't leave it alone. Tact was never his strong point. Thank goodness for Rosalie. She managed to put him in his place much to my surprise and with the word 'bed' ringing in his ear he disappeared following her upstairs.

The moment had now passed for us. Bella did have to get up in the morning to cook breakfast. But then after that, the day would more or less be ours.

We quickly tidied up and I walked her to the first floor stairs. Right now all I could do was kiss her softly goodnight. One last time today I touched her hand, squeezing it gently.

'All good things come to those who wait' a phrase my mother used when we were children and eager to have everything immediately. Bella was a good thing in my life and I would definitely wait for her to be mine.

End of Chapter


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note;** Many thanks for the reviews. You are very encouraging. So here is the next chapter.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday

I woke up to the sound of rain. It was 7.30. As I tried to sit up I realised that I was caught in my sheets. I untangled myself. I could feel my face flush as images of my dreams came back to me_. His hands were all over me. He kissed every bit of me and then…_ I shook myself out of the daydream. _Get ready for work Bella. There will be_ _plenty of time to think about him later._

I had a quick shower but didn't wash my hair. _You're going to get it wet later anyhow._

Once finished in the bathroom, I got dressed and tied a clean apron on, went to my kitchen and remembered that I had left the vase of flowers there and carefully carried them to my bedroom and set them on the chest of drawers. I went back to my kitchen and made a slice of toast to take with me downstairs.

Once downstairs I decided to make French toast, bacon and tomatoes. I filled the coffee pot and switched it on. Emmett was the first to arrive in the kitchen sniffing the air.

"Morning, Bella. How are you today?" He asked in a mischievous tone.

"Fine, thank you." I stayed focused on the job in hand. _Just don't give him the satisfaction of making you embarrassed Bella._

"I take it the meetings went well?" I asked trying to focus the conversation on something other than what I was sure was on his mind.

"Oh, yeah. I just nodded in all the right places. Mom and Rose are seeing to everything. Whatever Rose wants is fine with me." He replied. I caught sight of him watching me with a grin on his face. _No, he is not going to let it be._

"So, how was your day, Bella? Did you do anything interesting?" he said trying unsuccessfully to sound nonchalant.

"I just went for a walk. Forks is a lovely place." I answered casually. I managed to stay composed and took his plate of food and coffee to him.

"Oh that looks good Bella. Thank you." He said, now completely distracted.

I returned to the kitchen and did some cleaning up. Rosalie was next to arrive. _Here we go._

"Good morning, Rosalie. What would you like for breakfast?" I asked.

"A little of everything please, Bella. How are you today?" She asked as she sat at the table. _Yes, they're in it together. She never asks how I am in the mornings or any other time for that matter._

I turned slightly to look at her keeping my composure. "I'm fine thank you."

I took her breakfast out to her and placed it on the table.

"No headache then?" She asked not lifting her gaze from the plate in front of her.

Emmett grinned in her direction and looked over to me.

"No. No headache." _What is she getting at?_

"Sleep well did you?" She asked this time looking up at me.

_Don't blush Bella. You haven't done anything to be ashamed of…yet._

"Yes, Fine thanks. My usual eight hours." I said without any emotion in my tone and I managed to hold eye contact.

"Oh, good." She said seeming a little dumb founded. Emmett looked at her. The grin had disappeared.

"Would you like a refill Emmett? And a cup for you Rosalie or fresh orange?" I asked.

Emmett held his empty cup up to me and Rosalie answered simply, "Fresh orange please, Bella."

I returned to the kitchen and poured out the coffee and a glass of fresh orange. As I took the drinks to the table they were both looking at me suspiciously. _Don't bite Bella. Just ignore them._ I set down the drinks and carefully walked to the store cupboard and buried my face in there looking busy, long enough for my blush to fade and take a few deep breaths.

Dr and Mrs Cullen walked into the kitchen chatting about the wedding arrangements.

_Good now they will leave me alone._

"Good morning, Bella." They both said as they sat down at the table.

"Good morning, Dr Cullen. Mrs Cullen." I replied getting two plates ready.

They greeted Rosalie and Emmett. "Could we have the same please?" They asked. I looked over to them and nodded.

I plated up their food, took it in to them and returned to the table with two cups of coffee.

"What are you going to do today, Bella?" Emmett asked quickly looking over to Rosalie. _Oh dear, this is not going to be allowed to rest is it?_

"Well," I began. "I wanted to take a look at the gardens but it looks like it might rain all day today." I said looking out of the window at nothing in particular.

"Why don't you make use of the swimming pool, Bella." Mrs Cullen said.

"Yes, I might just do that Mrs Cullen. Thank you." I replied. _Perfect._

Emmett stood up and made his way over to the sink with his plate, cutlery and cup.

He turned and looked at me saying, "I'm going to have a work out this morning Rose.

Are you going to join me?" He looked like he was studying my face. _Don't blush, Bella, not now._ I didn't

"Yes that sounds like a great idea. I won't be long." She answered.

Emmett disappeared without a word and made his way upstairs.

Rosalie finished her breakfast moments later, brought her plate, cutlery and glass out and placed them in the sink. _My, what a difference. Have I passed the test?_

She left the kitchen without a word and made her way upstairs.

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone or something.

Dr and Mrs Cullen finished their breakfast and informed me that they would be working in their offices for part of the day as they left the kitchen. I cleared the table and began to load the dishwasher.

Two hands were suddenly on my hips as I closed the dishwasher door. I jumped slightly at the sensation of his touch. My breath hitched and that sensation in the pit of my stomach was back. I turned to face him and blushed.

"Oh, that is a wonderful sight first thing in the morning, Bella." He said smiling broadly.

"What, my back is a wonderful sight?" I said smiling.

"Well, all of you is a wonderful sight. But you blushing, is perfect." He said gently.

I blushed again a gentle pink this time. "Good morning." He said as he kissed my nose.

"Good morning. You're up early and by the looks of you, you've had your work out already." I said eyeing his damp t-shirt, causing me to let out a deep sigh.

"Umm. I'm ready for a swim now. How about you?"

"Do you want something to eat first?"

"Nope. I'm not hungry for food. Looking at you is enough." He said grinning. _Looks like it's going to be one of those days today, Bella. Just go with the flow. Remember to breathe._

"You say the sweetest things. I'll go and get changed. I'll find my way there." I reassured him. He hesitated to let me go and leaned in to plant a very soft kiss on my lips. He gripped a little tighter on my hips. I almost lost it completely in that moment. The smell of him was intoxicating. A sudden image of my dream last night flashed before me. _He was all hot and sweaty then, but the work out was a little different. _I blushed again, my heart beating furiously.

He grinned at me and finally released me. I quickly made my way upstairs hoping I would not bump into anyone on the way. _Please not Emmett or Rosalie._

When I got to my room I collapsed on the bed. It took several minutes for my heart to return to normal.

I quickly found my blue bikini and got changed. I threw on my towelling robe and made my way downstairs. Angela's office door was open so I popped my head in. She was sitting at her desk talking to herself.

"Good morning, Angela." I said cheerily.

"Oh, good morning, Bella." She replied slowly looking up from the papers in front of her. "Going for a swim?" she asked.

"Yes, Mrs Cullen suggested it. Where is the pool exactly?" I asked. _This will save time getting lost._

"The last door on the right, down the hall. There should be everything you need, towels and such. Have fun." She replied and refocused on the papers again.

"Oh, Bella." Angela began. "Before I forget, I've arranged for Charlie to collect some more uniform for you that you can leave in Seattle. That'll save you having to bring any over here for the weekends. Less for you to worry about." She said.

"Thanks for organising that Angela, that'll be very helpful. See you next weekend. Have a good week." I said, leaving her office.

"You have a good week too. Keep up the good work." She replied as I made my way down the hallway.

I found the door to the pool. The room was beautifully tiled in aqua's and white. There was a Jacuzzi over to the left by a large expanse of glass overlooking the garden. There were showers and changing cubicles. A number of chairs and loungers were situated randomly around the pool with large potted plants adding to the feel of being outdoors. The room was lovely and warm and the pool itself very inviting. I was the only one here so far.

I walked over to a lounger and took off my robe and made my way to the pool ladder.

I dipped a toe in the water and shut my eyes at the sensation of the warm water, getting in straight away. _This is heaven._ I swam the width of the pool enjoying the sensation of the water running through the length of my hair. Once I reached the other side I turned around and held on to the edge with my arms outstretched either side of me and allowed my body to float. I shut my eyes and leaned my head back. _This is so relaxing and so peaceful._

I heard the door open but no one spoke. I didn't open my eyes. I was sure that if it had been anyone other than Edward, they would have said something. I heard gentle footsteps walk over to where I was resting. Then I heard the water ripple next to me and a hand, his hand, rest on mine. I opened my eyes and looked over to my left. There he was, my Adonis. He smiled at me, looking me up and down the length of my body, in a very seductive way. _I don't think I am going to be able to hold out much longer. I can feel myself giving into him very soon._

I noticed that his swim shorts were giving his thoughts away all too easily. He shifted forward and plopped into the water without any effort. He swam under the water for a few minutes and joined me at the edge of the pool. I closed my eyes again.

"Lovely." He said.

"Yes. The water is just right." I agreed.

"No, you. You're lovely." He corrected me. I opened my eyes and looked over to him and gave him a small smile. He moved towards me, leaned forward and I responded. Just another inch…

End of Chapter

**Authors note;** Sorry everyone but I had to stop it there. I want you to come back for more. I shall update very soon. I promise. Remember to review! Take care.


	16. Chapter 16

**Authors note; **Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. You were all very encouraging. So, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it.

**Beta reader; **Many thanks to NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight, but this story is mine.

"_Lovely." He said._

"_Yes. The water is just right." I agreed._

"_No, you. You're lovely." He corrected me. I opened my eyes and looked over to him and gave him a small smile. He leaned forward and I responded. Just another inch…_

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday continued…

The door burst open. "Ah, there you are Edward!" Emmett boomed out. His voice reverberated around the tiled room.

Edward rolled his eyes and sighed. I smiled and swam over to the other side of the pool.

"Hi, Emmett. Did you enjoy your workout?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

He looked over at me and then at Edward, intently. "Yes, thanks. Have I missed much?"

"No, Emmett. Nothing." Edward retorted. _Easy Edward you will give yourself away._

Emmett grinned at him. Without another word he ran and jumped into the water like a cannon ball, splashing everything in the vicinity.

"Thanks for that, Emmett." We said in unison. I looked over to Edward and laughed. His mood lightened.

Surprise, surprise, Rosalie entered the room moments behind her fiance, wearing a radiant red bikini, dived in and chased him down to the end of the pool. They ducked each other under the water and generally acted like teenagers on Summer Break. It made me smile.

Emmett called over to Edward, "Race you little bro." The challenge was set and Edward eagerly made his way down to the imaginary start line at the end of the pool.

"Rosalie you say 'go'." Emmett instructed her.

"Ready, steady, GO!" She shouted. She then made her way over to me. _Keep calm Bella. Maybe she will be nice._

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"Pardon?" I asked, a little puzzled at her statement.

"I'm sorry for being so rude to you Bella." She said looking at me. _What is she up to now? Has she given up?_

"I hadn't noticed." I said showing no emotion in my face.

"Yeah, right! I've been a complete bitch to you and you're doing such a great job." She continued.

"I'm glad to know that you're enjoying the food." I replied, giving her a cautious smile.

"I don't mean the food Bella. That's good anyway. I mean Edward." She clarified, nodding in his direction. I think they were on their third lap by now.

"Oh." I replied not wanting to put my foot in my mouth just yet.

"He hasn't been this happy for such a long time. I worried about him. I can see you make him happy. Are you happy Bella?" She asked looking at me intently.

I blushed not knowing what to say. She had taken me by surprise once again.

"I think that look says it all. He won't break your heart you know. He's just not got it in him to do that." She began. "And I don't think you could hurt him either." She said, smiling. _So the grump fest is well and truly over. Good._

Rosalie turned her attention back to the race and shouted out "Last lap, boys!" She made her way over to the end of the pool to judge the finish. The last few strokes they mad were frantic to say the least. _They really do take challenges seriously in this family._

"Edward wins!" She shouted.

Emmett let out a loud groan and Edward slapped his brother on the back. "Better luck next time big bro." He shouted and swam over to me with a huge smile on his face.

He stood in front of me and placed his hands on the edge of the pool either side of my shoulders. "And now for my prize." He leaned in and kissed me. _Wow, Edward. We are not alone!_

A sudden look of realization shot across his face and he said loudly, controlling his tone but still holding my gaze. "Not a word, Emmett. Not a single, word." _I'll have to remember not to get him annoyed. But he does look hot like that!_

"My lips are sealed bro." Emmett replied gesturing with his fingers like he'd zipped his mouth shut. "It's about time though." He said laughing.

Edward rolled his eyes. I smiled and felt a light pink blush tint my cheeks. My stomach knotted and made my whole body flush. Edward moved in closer and kissed me just under my ear. "I love your blush Bella, you don't know what is does to me." _Oh yes I do, I can feel it now._ He moved his face and rested his forehead on mine taking a moment to regain his composure.

We had a great time in the pool, all of us. We spent another half an hour there and then made our way to the Jacuzzi. Rosalie set the jets at a gentle speed and Edward fetched a couple of glasses, a bottle of wine and two bottles of beer from a fridge in the corner of the room. He opened the wine and poured, handing a glass each to me and Rosalie. We all toasted to the forthcoming wedding.

"Bella?" Rosalie said, looking at me with a small smile. "I know you are a whiz in the kitchen but have you ever baked special cakes before?" She finished. Everyone looked at her quizzically. _I have no idea where this is heading._

"Yes, I can bake most things, like for birthdays and Christmas." I replied, still not sure what was going on in her head.

"I would love you to take charge of organising our Wedding Cake?" She said smiling.

"Your Wedding Cake?! Oh, surely you want a professional to do that job?" I responded feeling a little panicked.

"Please consider it, Bella. I would love it if you took charge. We have plenty of time to decide on the design, don't we?" She said pleadingly.

"Yes, I suppose there's enough time, depending what you would like the mixture to be. A traditional one would need to be started in a couple of months. Are you really sure Rosalie?" I asked.

"I am sure, Bella." She said giving me a hug. _She is such a nice person when she wants to be. _

Our glasses and bottles were raised again. "To the cake." We toasted.

"Bella?" Emmett began. "What's for lunch?"

"Emmett can't you let Bella have some time to relax?" Rosalie retorted and glared at him.

"Sorry, but all this exercise has given me a mighty appetite." He answered pouting.

"Come on, Emmett. We're going to make the lunch." Edward said as he stood up and stepped out of the Jacuzzi. "Let's get you acquainted with the kitchen." He continued, drying himself off.

"But I'm sure Bella can do a better job than us." Emmett seemed to be looking for backup. None came.

"You haven't had one of my Spanish omelettes then, have you?" Edward said hauling Emmett out of the Jacuzzi and handing him a towel.

"Since when do you cook?" Emmett said with his eyebrows raised.

"All the time when I'm on my own in Seattle, dah." Edward answered shaking his head. "Hurry up, get dried off and get to the kitchen." He called out to Emmett as he opened the door.

Emmett responded reluctantly, like a small boy being told off. The door closed behind them.

"So, Bella what did you do yesterday?" Rosalie said smiling at the closed door.

"We spent the day together. Edward made Spanish omelettes. His very good in the kitchen you know." I replied.

"I'm sure he is." Rosalie said with a grin appearing across her lips.

"I wonder what Alice and Jasper will think of all of this." She continued.

"Oh, they already know." I said bravely.

"What? When?" She asked, her face begging for the answer.

"Oh, Thursday night. Edward came home while you were all eating." I replied taking another sip of the wine.

"Wow. I had no idea. You must be good for him. He'd usually stay till his shift ended. Maybe we'll see more of him now, what do you think?" She asked finishing her wine and refilling her glass.

"I hope so. He works hard." I said keeping calm. "Do you think Dr and Mrs Cullen will be okay with this?" I asked her, hoping the answer would be a 'yes'. She refilled my glass.

"Oh, yes. Don't worry. They think a lot of you, Bella. They will be fine with all of this. If Edward is happy then they're happy." She said, laying a reassuring hand on my arm.

Emmett opened the door and announced proudly. "Lunch is ready!"

We dried ourselves and grabbed our robes and made our way to the breakfast room, with anticipation. Edward held out a chair for me. Not to be outdone, Emmett did the same for Rosalie.

"Thank you gentlemen." She said grinning at me from across the table.

The men brought out the plates of food and set them on the table.

"This looks delicious." I said looking over to Edward in appreciation.

"I cooked yours Rose, all by myself!" Emmett announced earning himself a large kiss on the mouth from Rosalie.

"Oh, please. We're going to eat." Edward said mockingly, putting a hand over his eyes.

We all laughed. We ate and chatted and relaxed in each others company. It felt great.

Once we had finished eating Emmett suggested that we should pair up and play a game of pool or a game of Call of Duty on the Xbox. Three of us voted to play Call of Duty so while the men cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher, Rosalie took me to the games room. She quickly set up the game and we waited for the men to join us.

"Right the teams are, Edward and Bella. Rose and me." Emmett announced. _So you think you're going to win this contest, do you?_

We made ourselves comfortable on some floor cushions set in front of the couch and Emmett switched the Xbox on. Edward and I quickly discussed our tactics and we were ready to play.

"How did you do that Bella?!" Emmett asked as I killed his character for the second time.

"Beginners luck I guess." I answered not having the heart to tell him that I used to play this game against my dad. I actually got quite good at it. Dad said I had a good aim. Three quarters of an hour later and Edward and I were victorious. Emmett let out a loud groan in defeat. Today was definitely not his day to win.

Emmett was not about to give up though. The next game he suggested was pool. Best of three games. _This will be interesting._

"Before we do that, I need to go and put the coffee pot on and have a shower and get dressed. I can't stay like this all day." I said, heading for the door. They all agreed and we disappeared in different directions. I made my way to the kitchen to see to the coffee. I then made my way up to my bathroom to have a shower. Some time later dressed and with dry, sweet smelling hair I made my way downstairs. We gathered at the pool table. _This is going to be so much fun!_

Once again Emmett teamed with Rosalie and I teamed with Edward. Edward looked a little worried. I gave him a quick wink to try and help him relax. Again pool was something that my Dad had taught me how to play. But that was my secret. As the game progressed I tried not to show too many of my skills. Edward and I just won the first game. The next game I showed a little more of what I could. Poor Emmett, he realised that he was being hustled and wanted to change partners which earned him a smack on the back of his head from Rosalie.

Well in the end, Edward and I won at the pool table. I was rewarded with a hug and a kiss from Edward. He confessed that it had been quite a while since he had won a game against Emmett so he was delighted with the result. Emmett disappeared into the kitchen to drown his sorrows in a cup of coffee.

I had to start thinking about preparing an evening meal for all of us. I got an apron from a draw in the kitchen and got ready to start cooking. As I busied myself the others including Dr and Mrs Cullen gravitated into the kitchen chatting and watching me cook. I prepared the meatball mixture and began to gently fry them off. I made a rich tomato sauce with basil and put the pasta on to cook. I also put together a green salad. The meal was slowly coming together.

Edward volunteered to lay the table and Emmett helped. It was very much a team effort today in every sense.

Dr Cullen opened a bottle of red wine and in no time I began to plate up the food. I cut up a loaf of crusty, seed topped bread and took everything to the table.

"Please sit with us, Bella." Mrs Cullen said smiling at me.

"Thank you Mrs Cullen. That's very kind of you." I replied, a little nervous.

We all sat and enjoyed the food and the company. All too soon the weekend would be over and we would all be going back to the daily routine. Edward was going to have to go back to work on Monday afternoon but on the plus side we would be travelling back to Seattle together.

After the meal I cleared up and loaded the dishwasher and set it off. Emmett and Rosalie went to the watch some TV and Edward went to the music room. He began to play the piece that he had composed for me. I joined him in the room to listen to him play. I made myself comfortable in a comfy chair and shut my eyes, lost in the music. He stopped playing for a moment.

"You've added a little more to the piece." I stated.

He turned to face me. "Yeah. It's slowly taking shape. I might be able to finish it next weekend, if I'm not working. When I get back to work, I'll have to look over the shifts so I can get home as much as possible. I don't want to be away from any longer than I have to, Bella." He said, smiling his breathtaking smile.

I noticed Mrs Cullen standing at the door, looking at us. _How long has she been standing there? How much did she hear?_

"That was a lovely piece you played, Edward. Is it new?" She said, smiling at him as he turned to face her.

"Yes, I haven't finished it yet. Just a little more to add to it." He replied. _How can he be so calm?_

"It's good to hear you play again and to know that your composing again. It's been a long time." She said knowingly. "Please carry on playing."

He played for a little while longer. I was starting to feel very tired. My eye lids were getting heavy.

"Edward, I'll have to go to bed soon, before I fall asleep down here." I looked at him, a little sad to leave him. _I just want to spend every minute with him now._

"No problem, Bella. I'll walk you up." He said closing the lid of the piano. He stood and took my hand, stepping towards me and kissing my mouth. I rested my hand on his chest feeling the warmth of his body through his shirt. _I can feel myself weakening every time he touches me._

He led me upstairs to my bedroom door. I opened it. He kissed me gently on the forehead. "Goodnight, Bella. See you in the morning. Thank you for a lovely day." He turned and made his way down the stairs to his room. I sighed.

I managed to find the energy to change, ready for bed and crawled into it and fell asleep straight away.

End of Chapter

**Authors note;** So, how do you think things are going? We have a special guest for dinner on Wednesday evening. I wonder who is going to turn up. I have made the decision and will be starting that part of the story soon. In the meantime please review this chapter as I need to know what you think of it. Take care.


	17. Chapter 17

**Authors note;** Many thanks to all of you who kindly reviewed the last chapter. You are all brilliant! You're reviews encourage me to continue writing.

**Beta reader;** Thank you to NatalieRB for all your help.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday

Edward POV

I heard the rain first before anything else, lashing against my bedroom window. I opened one eye and looked at the clock. 8.15 and thankfully it's Sunday. Another day to relax and another day to spend with Bella. I smiled. She'll be getting things ready downstairs, without a doubt. I heard my brother's door open and close. He is a slave to that stomach of his. But who am I to talk? With Bella in charge in the kitchen who wouldn't think of food more often.

Thinking back to last night we were so close to being caught out. How am I going to handle this? I'm sure Emmett suspects something. My family know me too well. The downside of still living with them. Maybe I should've moved out a couple of years ago. My private life would be private then. But I didn't, so now I have to deal with it. Not for my sake but for Bella. I just don't want her to think I don't care enough not to think about her feelings. She's so worried about loosing her job over me. I know she won't because mom and dad are not like that. How do I get her to understand that?

I don't know how much longer I can act 'normal' when I'm in the same room as her. I just want to touch her all the time. I want to kiss her when I feel like, not act like I'm hiding something from my family. What should I do for the best? For Bella's sake, I hope Emmett doesn't act like an idiot and embarrass her with twenty questions. Her blush will give everything away. I really need to clear my head right now and work things out if I can. I'll go down to the gym. That'll help me to think. It'll certainly get rid on this tension that's building up. God, I don't know how much longer I can wait for her. I know my attitude has changed but how much longer I can hold out, I'm not sure.

I made my way downstairs quietly and carefully, hoping not to be seen.

Good, everyone's eating. I'll be able to slip passed the kitchen without being seen. It seems such a long time since I've worked out in this place. It's so quiet, perfect. I'll stick to my usual routine.

It's certainly been a while since I used this gym. I've only worked out for an hour and I've just about had it. I'll just sit for a minute till my heart rate slows down. No rush. That feels so much better. One thing I know I've decided about, I'm not going to work any extra shifts anymore, unless I really have to. Work has been a great way to keep occupied but now I want to be at home as much as possible. Tomorrow I'll talk to Tom. I know I asked for the extra shifts but when I explain to him I have a private life again, he'll understand. Dan Michaels can take some extra shifts. The amount of money he pays to his ex-wife each month, he could do with earning a bit extra. The one thing I have learned from Dan is not to ruin a great relationship by getting distracted by some pretty nurse at work. I know he regrets it everyday. Look where it got him. No where. He's still on his own. Idiot.

Right. Time to go and see what Bella's up to. If she's finished with breakfast we'll be able to go swimming. Perfect.

There she is. Beautiful. Thank God everyone else is out of the way. She hasn't heard me yet. Careful Edward, don't make her jump. Umm, even her back looks good. Behave Edward! The sensation in my hands every time I touch her. I love it. There it is, Bella's blush. Fantastic! Now it is a Good Morning. I really can't resist her lips any longer. Umm, she tastes so good. Her heart rate is up. She's blushing again. Something is going on in that head of hers. I'd love to know what she's thinking right now to cause that blush. It's so hard to let go of her. How am I going to handle telling my family?

She does look good today. I don't know if spending time with her in the pool is a good idea. It's so hard to keep myself in check. I can't afford to ruin this. Looks like it's another cold shower for me.

Thank goodness, I didn't run into anyone. Maybe they've gone out for the day. Then again they could be anywhere in this house. It's big enough to get lost in.

One cold shower later and ready for the pool. I made my way downstairs to the pool room.

There she is! Wow, that bikini looks good on her. And the colour. She takes my breath away. She'd look good in anything. Or nothing. Behave! She hasn't even looked up. I bet she knows it's me. I'll just sit here for a minute. Her hand is so soft. How does she have such soft hands, working in a kitchen most of the day? You think of some stupid things, Edward. The water feels good. Just the right temperature. Finally, she's opened her eyes. Those pools of chocolate, Delicious. And so is the rest of her. Damn. The effects of that cold shower didn't last long. She's like a magnet. I can't stay away from her long. She's giving me that look again, drawing me in to her.

Just another inch and I'll feel her lips on mine….

Damn it. Where did he come from? He's always had good timing, to his advantage not mine! I thought they might have gone out. Damn. She's moved away now. That was going to be such a perfect moment. Somehow I'm going to get him back for this. Oh great! That's it, spoil the mood completely. Is that the only way Emmett knows how to get into a pool? By splashing everything in sight! Sometimes I wonder how were even brothers! Hey, Bella and I said the same thing at the same time. How did that happen? That's weird. It made us laugh though. Lightened my mood, that's for sure.

Yep, as I suspected, where there is Emmett, Rosalie is sure to follow. Look at the two of them acting like teenagers. I don't suppose Emmett will ever grow up. Maybe I can get my own back and challenge him to a race. We haven't done that in ages. Yep, that sounds like a good idea.

Great he's up for it. He never can resist a challenge. Right, we're ready Rose. Hurry up!

I'm going to win this race if it kills me.

Rose just called out our last lap. I'm ahead of him. If I can just keep the distance between us. Yes! I won. That feels good. Poor Emmett he doesn't handle loosing very well does he? Just look at Bella, with that huge smile on her face. She is just as pleased as I am. Oh, those lips are calling to me again. I just have to kiss them this time. I can't hold out any longer.

What have I done? I wasn't going to let on to anyone just yet. Too late now. What's done is done. I'll just have to hope that they don't tell mom and dad until I figure this out. Alice and Jasper haven't said anything. Surely Rose and Emmett can keep their mouths shut for a little while. I'll give him one warning and hope for the best. Emmett's never been one to keep a secret. But maybe this time he can.

Umm, she smells so good, just here under her ear. She's driving me mad. Breathe Edward. Get your act together.

It's actually much easier now that they know. I'm having much more fun than I thought I would. This is how it should be for us. Relaxed with other people around. Maybe that's it! That's what I need to do. Stop worrying. Just relax and let things happen!

I can't believe how great Rose is being with Bella. She knows Bella is good for me. Rose isn't stupid, just protective. So she can ease up now. Bella is nothing like Tanya. I suppose Tanya hurt Rose as much as she hurt me. I can't imagine loosing a friend in that way. They were friends since High School. I'm sure Bella will become a good friend to Rose. Alice already loves her.

Whoever suggested the Jacuzzi is thinking straight. The water in there is just a tad warmer than the pool. I'll fetch a bottle of wine for the girls and beer for Emmett and me.

Rose surprises me sometimes. She really is trying to include Bella in everything. Her idea to put Bella in charge of the cake is great! I couldn't think of anyone else doing a better job. She has the skills and the 'know how'. Excellent idea Rose! Please say yes, Bella. You'll be more a part of the family then. It will make things easier for us. Great she said yes. Seal the deal with a toast to the cake. She can't back out now.

It didn't take long for food to enter the conversation.

Emmett and his stomach! Well, if he thinks Bella is going to go in that kitchen just yet he is so wrong. We're going to make the lunch. It's about time he got to know something about how to use a kitchen. Let's get him out of here before Bella gives in to him. We'll leave the girls in peace.

I made sure he followed me to the kitchen and got him to wash his hands.

He really doesn't know anything about kitchens, does he? Let's hope I can teach him how to make an omelette then maybe he can feed himself once in a while. Hey, not bad. Emmett can cook! I'll tidy up while he tells Bella and Rose lunch is ready. It'll be good to sit at the table together. Bella's face, when she saw the food, was my reward for cooking it.

I didn't think it would take long for Emmett to try and even the score. An Xbox challenge. Call of Duty as well! No doubt he will win this. I can't see Bella ever being bothered about playing computer games but then again who am I to say she can't. I still have so much to learn about her. She could surprise me and everyone else!

How did she do that! She's killed Emmett twice now. So she has played this game before. He is so annoyed now. Yes!! We win. Poor Emmett, he's having such a bad day! I haven't laughed so much in such a long time. Here we go, Emmett can't just give up. I suppose if I were him I wouldn't either. So now he wants to play pool. Best of three. Okay, this will be interesting.

As much as I would like to watch Bella playing pool in her bikini, it's a better idea if we get changed before we start the game. She would definitely put me off my game.

Now we're all changed and ready to play.

Right, let's get on with it. Why did Bella just wink at me? Is she trying to tell me something? No time to talk, let's get this game started. Hey, I saw that Bella and so did Emmett. Easy does it, he's going to realise what you're up to. Well that's the first game to us. Emmett's gone a bit quiet. Maybe that was just beginners luck. We'll see when we play the next game how good she is.

Ha! I thought so. Bella is hustling Emmett. We are so going to win this again. I'm going to have to find out who taught her. Probably her father. Good for her. And yes, we win again! Emmett lost to a girl. Ha! Even Rose is smiling. I know we don't need to play the last game but I just want to see Bella unleash all her skills. She is so hot right now, moving around the pool table without a care in the world. She is good at this game. I doubt Emmett will ever challenge us again. What a day, we won at everything. Now is the perfect time to have Bella in my arms and kiss those lips again. It seems like hours ago since I kissed her. Too long. She smells so good.

I can't believe how quickly this day is going. Bella's back in the kitchen taking charge again. I suppose I'd better stay out of her way but not for long. I love to watch her cooking. She looks like she's in another world as she works in the kitchen. People say that the kitchen is the heart of the home. With everyone now standing in the kitchen chatting and watching Bella cook I'd say that it's true.

What can I do to help? I know, I'll lay the table and Emmett can help. Umm, smells like dinner is ready. What a feast. Bella's worked so hard. I wish she would sit at the table with us. What was that mom said? She wants Bella to sit with us? I can't believe it. We were thinking the same thing. Thank you, mom. You're the best.

What more can anyone want right now. Good food and good company. I can think of other things of course but they all involve Bella in some way. We'll have to have the house to ourselves some time. Behave Edward! Thank goodness no one can read my mind right now!

While Bella clears up, I'm going to work on my new piece of music. I think I might be able to add a little to it. Now where did I get to? I could add this to it. No, that doesn't sound right. Try again. And there she is, my inspiration. I think I can add something to the piece after all.

I didn't realise mom was standing there. Well there's nothing I can do if she did hear what Bella and I were talking about. They're going to find out soon anyway. My feelings for her are getting beyond the point of keeping her a secret. I really don't think it will be a problem anyway. Mom and dad take most things in their stride. We're both adults and she makes me happy what more could they want for me.

Bella looks really tired now. I'm sure she will tell me when she's had enough. She's got to be up early in the morning to cook. Yep, I was right. She can't keep her eyes open. I'll walk her up to her room and make sure she gets there okay.

The perfect way to end a memorable day. Kissing Bella goodnight. From now on that's how it's going to be. Everything is going to be different in the morning.

End of Chapter

**Authors note;** I hope the POV was okay. The next chapter is almost ready. I will post it soon. But in the meantime, please review. Take care.


	18. Chapter 18

**Authors note; ****Many thanks for the reviews so far. You are all great taking your time to do so. Hope you enjoy this chapter. We are definitely moving on now and getting closer to Wednesday night (Guest night).**

**Beta reader; ****Thank you Natalie RB. You're great!**

**Disclaimer;**** I do not own Twilight**

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

The alarm seemed to shout at me this morning. 6.00. I glared at it. _Okay, okay, I'm getting up! _I flicked the switch on its' face and rubbed my eyes. I sat up in the bed for a moment stretching and then hauled myself up and over to the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror at my 'just out of bed look'. Not one that you would put in a fashion magazine that's for sure!

After getting ready and finally tying an apron around my waist, I went down the stairs, slowly. Thankfully the house was still quiet so even though I was a little late getting started this morning, no one would know the difference. I quickly put the coffee on, more for my benefit this morning, than for anyone else.

I took out all the perishables that were left in the fridge except for some cheese that could be used during the week by Angela. The coffee was ready. I poured myself a cup, added some milk and took a sip. The caffeine hit almost immediately. I turned on the heating lamps and set to work cooking a breakfast feast. When everything was plated up, I turned my attention to writing Angela a list of things needed for the next weekend.

Dr and Mrs Cullen were the first to get up and appear in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Bella. I see you've been busy. Thank you, it looks delicious." Mrs Cullen said, helping herself to the food.

"Bella, with Mother's Day in two weeks, you'll want to fly down to Phoenix no doubt." Dr Cullen said.

I then realised that I hadn't rung my parents at the weekend. My mind had been so distracted that I forgot. _Note to self; ring them when you get to Seattle later._

"Yes Dr Cullen, I'll get that arranged and let you both know when I fly out." I said pouring out two cups of coffee.

They sat down to eat and I placed the cups on the table. "Have you eaten yet, Bella?" Mrs Cullen asked. _That's so kind of her to ask._

"No not yet. I'll wait until everyone is down." I answered and Mrs Cullen nodded.

Emmett was the next person to join us. "Morning, Bella. Thanks for this." He said. His eyes were wide with excitement at the thought of filling his stomach. He quickly filled his plate and sat down at the table. I poured him a coffee and took it over to him.

"Morning mom, dad." He greeted them and kissed the top of his mother's head and sat down. "Did you hear about how Bella hustled me yesterday?" He looked over to me with a broad grin on his face.

They looked at him with surprised faces. "No, how?" they asked.

"Not only is Bella good on the Xbox, playing Call of Duty no less, she's also good at pool! When we play next time, she's on my team!" He said, looking over to me and winking. _Very brave Emmett. Only because Rosalie isn't down yet!_

"Well, Bella you are full of surprises. I wouldn't have guessed that you enjoyed playing on the Xbox. I'll have to see that for myself sometime." Dr Cullen said with a chuckle. I blushed and quickly busied myself with some clearing up in the kitchen.

Rosalie and Edward finally arrived in the kitchen. I took a deep breath.

"Morning, Bella." Rosalie said, cheerily. I passed her a plate so that she could select her breakfast.

"Morning, Rosalie." I replied. I handed Edward a plate. As I turned around to pour out two more cups of coffee, he stopped me in my tracks, taking my arm and planted a kiss on my mouth. _What are you doing?!_

He grinned at me. "Good morning, Bella."

"Good morning." I replied weakly, still in shock.

He turned towards the food and made his selection as if nothing had happened. I had to give my head a little shake before I could process what had just happened. I quickly looked over toward the breakfast room. Rosalie and Emmett were smiling at me. _Yep, that's okay they know about us._ I shifted my gaze to Dr and Mrs Cullen in anticipation of their reaction. To my surprise Mrs Cullen was smiling at Edward as he sat down at the table. It was Dr Cullen's face that was showing visible signs of shock. _Oh, no. That's it. Everything is ruined now. What am I going to say? Do I say anything? Should I just go and pack my bags now?_

Mrs Cullen in one swift movement, realising that her husband was starring at me open mouthed, put her hand on his cheek, turned his face towards hers and smiled at him. "It's okay." She said. "I'm happy we're going to see more of Edward from now on and so should you be." She then continued to eat.

_She had been standing at the door longer than I realised yesterday. She must have heard everything! I really don't know what to think now! But she seems to be okay with the situation._

I breathed out, finally, my state of panic slowly ebbing away. I poured out the two cups of coffee and took them to the table for Rosalie and Edward. _I half expect the next words spoken will be 'you're fired'._

"We're all here now, Bella. Please get your breakfast and join us won't you?" Dr Cullen said, making a quick recovery from his shock.

"Yes, I will thank you." I replied. _Wow that was a surprise!_

I plated up some food and poured myself a coffee. As I approached the table, Edward stood up and held out a chair for me, next to him. I gave him a nervous smile as I sat down. The room became quiet.

Rosalie thankfully broke the silence. "Esme, I've asked Bella to oversee the design of the Wedding Cake. You don't mind, do you? She knows much more about these things than I do and I've decided that I want a more personal touch." She looked over to me and smiled encouragingly.

"I think that's a great idea, Rose. I take it you're both going to get together with Alice at some point and make a final decision?" Mrs Cullen asked.

I took a tentative glance in Mrs Cullen direction only to see that she was genuinely smiling.

"Yep, we'll get that sorted in the next couple of weeks. Bella won't let me forget." Rosalie replied, finishing her breakfast.

"That was great, Bella, as always." Edward said, placing his knife and fork down on the plate. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I looked down at my plate, blushing furiously. _I just want the earth to open up right now and swallow me up! I don't know what's come over him! _He chuckled as he stood up and left the table, taking his plate and empty cup to the kitchen.

I lifted my face up as I felt the blush subside. The silence in the room was deafening.

"How long do you need before we leave, Bella?" Edward asked. He looked out of the kitchen window at the rain that was now pouring down. "You don't mind if I drive do you, Bella?" He looked over to me. I collected the empty plates at the table and made my way into the kitchen.

"No, of course not. I don't like driving in weather like this anyway." I said trying to sound calm. I began to load the dishwasher. _Just relax. Edward seems to be relaxed about it all. I just wish he had spoken to me first about letting his parents know about us in this way. I'll have to talk_ _to him later, when we're alone._ "I suppose I can be ready in about half an hour. Is that okay?"

"Great." He replied and helped me to finish clearing up.

I looked at him intently as the rest of the family left the kitchen. Emmett winked at Edward and slapped him on the back as he left.

Edward turned to me and took a step forward. I could tell by his eyes what his intention was. _No way mister._ I put up my hand to halt him. He stopped and looked at me, eyebrows raised. "What's up, Bella?"

"That's the question I was going to ask you. What is going on in that head of yours?" I felt like standing with my arms folded but thought better of it. I didn't want to argue with him, I just wanted an explanation.

"What?" He said, a grin appearing on his face.

"Don't look at me like that. You know what it does to me." I said a little harshly. I realised that I had actually said out loud my thoughts at that moment. I blushed.

He took three more steps forward, to stand right in front of me. I felt my stomach twitch with the anticipation of him being so close. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face to look into my eyes. I felt the heat rise up through my torso. _He's won again._

"Bella, I'm sorry, but I'm tired of keeping us a secret." He kissed my forehead.

"When I'm in the same room as you, I want to touch you. I want to kiss you when ever I want to." He then kissed my cheek. I could hardly breathe.

"My feelings for you are too strong now to pretend there is nothing going on." He said, leaning forward again and kissed my lips tenderly.

He moved away from me just a few inches holding my gaze. "Do you feel the same?"

"Yes, I do. I..I.." I couldn't focus. I couldn't even keep my eyes open any more.

I felt his hand move from my face. His hands were now on the small of my back pulling me closer to his body. His lips were on mine again, this time with more force. I parted my lips in response to his, our tongues moving together gently. I couldn't move. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't breathe properly.

His fingers found the hem of my t-shirt. Sliding his fingers under the fabric, my skin tingled as his fingers caressed the small of my back. I gasped at the sensation now running up my entire back and felt the tension building in his body.

He pulled away from my mouth slowly and stepped back. I took a much needed breath and opened my eyes. I smiled at him.

"Just promise me one thing." I said, as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Anything." He replied.

"Do not kiss me like that in front of your parents or anyone else for that matter." I said and kissed his cheek quickly.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Bella. I promise." He said placing his right hand on his chest, over his heart. "Please, Bella." He continued. "Please don't worry about anything. Okay?"

"Okay, I'll have to trust you on that one."

I went up to my room to get my things together ready for Seattle. I met Edward on the first floor landing, on the way down. He gestured to me to hand over the bag and took my hand to go downstairs.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes, ready." I replied.

As we walked passed Dr Cullen's office his voice called out. "Edward would you spare me a moment please, before you go?"

"I won't be long." He said to me, reassuringly.

Edward entered his father's office and shut the door.

Mrs Cullen stepped out of her office, seeing me, smiled and gestured for me to go into her office.

"Sit down, please, Bella." She gestured towards a couch situated under a window looking out onto the courtyard.

"Is there something wrong, Mrs Cullen?" I asked as I sat down.

"Yes and no, Bella." Mrs Cullen began, sitting down next to me. She gave me a small smile, folding her hands in her lap. "I don't think Edward has been very fair to you." She stated.

"Fair? I'm not sure what you mean?" I asked not sure which way this conversation was going to pan out.

"It wasn't fair for him to display his affection for you as he did this morning. You were not ready for it, were you?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, I wasn't. He took me by surprise. I..I.." I stuttered not able to continue.

"At least I was a little bit more prepared than my husband. I overheard Edward talking last night."

"Yes." I said and blushed. "I'm sorry, Mrs Cullen. I thought that Edward would have said something to you. I didn't think he would decide to tell you this way."

"There is absolutely no reason for you to apologise. I can see how much Edward thinks of you. I can only guess that you feel the same way considering how embarrassed you were this morning. Edward can be rather impetuous at times. You are both adults and you make Edward very happy. Are you happy Bella?" She asked.

"Yes, very happy." I replied, blushing slightly again.

"Then that's okay. I can assure you that Dr Cullen… Carlisle and I do not have a problem with Edward choosing you, Bella." She said.

"You don't?" I asked, not sure if I felt surprised or relieved.

"Bella, you are a lovely woman. You look after us so well. We all think the world of you." She said reassuringly. "Did you think that we didn't?"

"No, I…I was hired to cook for you."

"And so you do, wonderfully. I have no intention of firing you because you are with Edward. Put that thought right out of your head, Bella."

"Thank you, Mrs C…" I began but was cut off by Mrs Cullen

"Bella, please call me Esme. It sounds so much better." She said and patted my hand.

I nodded.

"Let's go and find Edward. You'll need to get going. This weather is going to add on a little extra time to your journey back." She said, standing and moving towards the door. Esme opened the door and we stepped out into the hallway.

Edward and Dr Cullen were chatting in the hallway, as they waited for us. Dr Cullen smiled at me. "Edward has brought me up to speed. It seems that I'm not as observant as I used to be. Bella, please don't worry about anything. I know how Esme feels about you and Edward and please be assured, I couldn't be happier. Please call me Carlisle."

"We'd better go now, Bella." Edward began. "You have an evening meal to plan." He said with a large grin across his face.

We said our good byes and put our coats on, as Edward scooped up my bag. We walked out of the house and ran to the car. Once safely buckled in the car, he brought it to life and we started out. I reached into my purse pulling out a note book and pen, I quickly wrote out a list of ingredients for tonight's dinner. I decided to make carrot and coriander soup, Moroccan spiced lamb with couscous and flatbread.

Edward glanced over in my direction and grinned. "What's everyone eating tonight?"

"Keep your eyes on the road please. Moroccan lamb." I said absorbed in deciding on the dessert.

"Can you send some over to the hospital or better still deliver it yourself?"

"Nope. You'll just have to be happy with me making lunch for you before you start work." I said in a matter of fact tone. "When do you think you'll be home for dinner over the next couple of days?" I asked jotting down a few more ideas for the dessert.

"Tomorrow evening for sure." He began. " I'm going to talk to Tom and then arrange things with Dan to do some extra hours so I can get away a little earlier some evenings." He answered. He gave me a quick side-ways glance.

"Are you still annoyed with me?" He asked. His eyebrows formed a frown.

"Yes." I answered without further explanation.

"I like it when you annoyed. You're hot when you're annoyed." He said giving me one of his grins.

I looked at him and started to giggle. The giggle turned into a laughed. He joined in.

"I'm hopeless. I couldn't stay annoyed with you if my life depended on it." I reached over and stroked the back of his head finally resting my hand on his neck, playing with his hair.

Edward stared straight ahead. I noticed that his breathing was becoming a little laboured. I grinned to myself. I began to gently scratch his neck.

"Bella?"

"Umm?"

"It would be safer if you stopped doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You know 'what'. I may not be on my best behaviour toward you when we get back to Seattle." He said grinning. He shifted a little in his seat.

I took my hand away from his now very warm neck. My gaze lowered to his lap. I noticed that a bulge had formed under the encasement of his trousers. I smiled to myself. _It's good to know that I'm not the only one who is affected by just a simple touch._

We continued our journey in comfortable silence_. _When we eventually arrived at the City house and were safely inside, we hung our coats up and left my bag in the hallway for now. I walked into the kitchen and found a note from Alice; We had a lovely weekend celebrating! Hope you had fun too. See you later, love Ali and Jazz.

I handed the note to Edward to read. He looked at it and smiled. "She is going to be bouncing off the walls tonight." He stated. We chuckled at the thought.

I picked up the phone and rang the grocery store and recited the list of food that I needed delivered. Then I rang the butchers and placed a meat order. Everything would be delivered within the hour.

Edward busied himself making us an herbal tea and I made a start on making sandwiches for lunch. The basics were in the fridge, no doubt Charlie had seen to that.

With the lunch made we sat down, close to each other, at the breakfast bar to eat. _If we only had a little more time I would have taken him upstairs._

I reached over to him and rested my hand on his. "You'll have to go to work soon won't you? I'll miss you." I stated and slid off the barstool to stand in front of him, between his knees. I reached forward putting my hands either side of his face and slowly leaned in to him. He put his arms around my waist, placing his hands at the small of my back, pulling me closer to him and narrowing the gap. I held his face still and softly kissed his lips. He smelt so good.

Once again his touch heated up my back. I increased the intensity of the kiss. His lips parted and our tongues collided. My head became light-headed. Images of us in bed and naked invaded my thoughts. My breathing became more erratic. His hands were now under my t-shirt and sliding up my heated flesh. They hovered at the clasp of my bra. He moaned into my mouth and…

End of Chapter

Authors note; Please review and let me know how you felt about this chapter. You know how appreciated your opinions are! Take care.


	19. Chapter 19

**Authors note; **Thank you, all of you who have been reading this story and a special thank you to those who have taken the time to review. I really do appreciate your comments. So as a reward here is the next chapter.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight, but **this** is my story.

_His hands were now under my t-shirt and sliding up my heated flesh. They stopped at my bra. He moaned into my mouth and…_

**COOK WANTED**

Monday continued….

The sound of Edward's cell ringing, jolted us out of our heated moment.

"Damn!" I spat. Edward released me from his grasp, reaching for the offending object in his pocket. Checking the caller ID, he answered it immediately. "Tom, yes. I understand. Yes, right away. Fifteen minutes. Okay."

I stepped away from Edward conscious of his change in mood.

"There's been a major incident. I have to go now." He said as he moved to the hallway for his jacket. "Quick, give me your cell." I handed it to him. He punched in some numbers and pressed call. His cell rang and he ended the call, handing my cell back to me. "Now I have your number. I'll ring you later." As he walked towards the front door I followed. He turned and kissed me quickly on my mouth. A second later he was gone.

I let out a heavy sigh, found an apron in a drawer, washed my hands to cool them down a bit and began to make dough for rolls. This helped me to re-focus on making the evening meal. _Anything to keep busy and make the time go faster. Tuesday evening seems such a long time until he touches me again._

I set the dough balls to one side to prove when the doorbell rang. I answered the door. It was the grocery delivery followed quickly by the meat delivery. I returned to the kitchen to unpack the bags.

My first job was to make the soup. An hour later that was ready. I turned my attention to the main course, mixing the spices together, gently browning the meat and combining the two. Putting the mixture to one side to rest, I began working on the lemon tart, baking the base blind and mixing up the ingredients for the filling. Once finished I set it to one side to cool.

I was ahead of time so decided to take my bag upstairs and unpack. The house was so quiet at the moment but thankfully the family would soon be making their way home.

I was looking forward to seeing Alice and have her infectious happiness lift my mood.

I made my way back to the kitchen and poured the meat mixture into the tagine and placed it in the oven. I placed the lemon tart on the top shelf in the fridge and made the mixture for the flatbread. I then set the table ready for dinner. Opening the diary to today's date, I noted down the menu for this evening. My mind wondered to thoughts of what I would cook for the next evening. _Something that Edward would like._ _I want_ _him to know how much I think about him when he's not here._ It was difficult to make up my mind. He liked everything. I'd have to think about it a little longer.

I put the dough balls in the oven, checking on the meat at the same time and adding the vegetables. It smelt good. Now was a good time to ring mom and dad.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I pressed speed dial 1. "Hi, mom. I'm so sorry I didn't ring at the weekend. Yes, I was quite busy, sightseeing in Seattle and getting to know Forks a little better. How are you both? Good. Oh, yeah, the job is going really well. Yes, they like me. Don't worry mom. Listen, Mother's Day is coming up. When would you like me to get down there? Oh, I see. But I haven't seen you in ages. No, I understand. I'll come out the weekend after then. Right, that's a date then. I'll let you know when I've booked the flight. Okay. Please keep me updated won't you? I love you both. Bye." I stood quietly for a moment as I put my cell away, absorbing the news. _I have never known my grandmother to be ill. I shall arrange for some flowers to be sent so she knows that I'm thinking of her. _I had to concentrate on getting the dinner ready. The family would be home soon.

I quickly checked on the rolls. They were ready. I took them out to cool.

Esme and Carlisle arrived home first. They hung their coats up in the hallway and greeted me.

"Hello, Bella dear. How was your day?" Esme asked as she slipped out of her wet shoes. _I'll tell them about my grandmother in the morning. Now is not a good time for my news._

"Fine, thank you Esme. How has your day been?" I asked smiling at them both.

Esme looked over to Carlisle as he spoke. "Sadly there was a major incident today. The hospital was on full alert. It was good to see all the training sessions being put into action. ICU was very busy." He looked deep in thought at this moment.

"Yes. I was with Edward when he was called in." I said quietly.

"Dinner smells good, Bella. We'll be back shortly." Esme said, taking Carlisle's hand to break him out of his thoughtful mood. They made their way upstairs to get changed.

Rosalie and Emmett were the next to arrive home. Rosalie was complaining about the rain ruining her hair. Emmett popped his head into the kitchen.

"Wow, Bella that smells good. I'll be back down in a minute." He disappeared before I could say anything to him. I smiled. _It's actually very rewarding cooking for Emmett. He appreciates everything I cook, with enthusiasm._

Rosalie walked into the kitchen, tying up her wet hair. "How are you, Bella? Have you had a good day?" She asked smiling her bright smile.

"Yes, thanks. I've kept myself busy." I replied.

"Helps the time go a little faster. I remember how it felt." She said as she left the kitchen and went upstairs.

I put the coffee pot on. Alice and Jasper finally arrived home just as everyone else was settling down in the lounge. We greeted each other and they quickly said 'Hi' to the others, disappearing upstairs to change. Minutes later they joined the rest of the family in the lounge. The coffee was ready. I heated up the soup and set the tray with cups. Esme came out to the kitchen and finished setting up the tray and took it out to the lounge. I smiled to myself. _It really feels like things are going to be okay._

I poured the hot soup into the tureen and put the rolls into the bread basket. I took the tureen to the table and returned with the rolls. Esme gathered the family together and led them to the table. She began to serve the soup. I cooked the flatbread while the couscous was soaking up the boiling water, doubling in size quickly.

Everything was ready. Alice brought the soup bowls and spoons out to the kitchen, while Jasper carried out the tureen and bread basket. "There is a little left for you, Bella. You will eat won't you?"

"Thank you Alice. Yes, of course. I'll bring this out and then have a sit down." I reassured her.

I put the cooked meat and vegetables in a large dish, finished the couscous and placed the large flatbread on a plate. Jasper helped to take the dishes to the table. All of them thanked and complimented me as the food was set down on the table. I went back to the kitchen to finish the soup.

"Bella, we'll be having company this Wednesday." Rosalie said from the table. "I'll put the details in the diary before I go to bed. I think anything will be fine. I'll leave the decision up to you." I took my bowl to the sink and began to load the dishwasher.

"Bella, please leave that and come and join us. Bring a plate for yourself." Esme instructed me.

I took a plate from the cupboard, Carlisle placed another chair at the table and Esme passed a set of cutlery to me. I sat between Alice and Rosalie. "Thank you, Esme." I finally said, putting food on my plate. We chatted a little about the weekend and Rosalie explained to Alice, her idea about the Wedding Cake. Alice was overjoyed at the idea of us working together on it. Esme smiled at the three of us as we spoke animatedly, sharing our ideas.

Remembering that I had to whip up some cream, I finished eating and took the empty plates out with me. Jasper helped by bringing out the rest of the dishes and cutlery.

"I take it that the weekend went well, Bella." Jasper began, smiling. "I was sure that Esme and Carlisle would be happy about the two of you. I'll warn you now though, Alice will want to know all about the weekend. We had a lovely time but I could tell that she was a little distracted. She can't stand not being in the 'loop'." He said.

I whipped the cream up quickly into soft peaks transferring it into a glass bowl. I put the tart onto a china plate and took them out to the table. Esme passed the cake plates around the table including a plate for me. I sat down. Esme cut the tart and served us.

Alice passed the cream around. When we finally finished, Emmett and Rosalie cleared the table, taking the dishes out to the kitchen. I put another pot of coffee on and loaded the dishwasher. The evening had gone so well. With everyone helping, it was very much a team effort and very appreciated.

I took the fresh pot of coffee out to the lounge. At that moment my phone rang. I checked the caller ID. I smiled. "Hi." I began and blushed. _I only have to hear his voice and my body reacts! _

Esme quietly caught my attention. "Just a minute." I said to Edward.

"Bella, we can see to the rest. You go up to bed now. No doubt you would like to talk in private?" She said smiling at me.

"Thank you, Esme. See you all in the morning." I said, smiling at everyone.

As I walked up the stairs, I continued talking to Edward, "Hi again. I'm going up to bed now. How's your day been? I've missed you too." I opened my bedroom door and lay on the bed.

"Yes, they enjoyed the meal. Everyone helped in some way tonight. Yes, I know. You sound tired. Are you going to be able to get some rest? Good. Umm, I know so do I. You say the sweetest things. Okay, miss you. See you tomorrow." I shut my phone, changed for bed and snuggled down for the night. _Not long now, Bella. Not long now._

Tuesday

_At last, Tuesday is here! _All I had to do was get through the day and he would be home this evening. I quickly washed, brushed my teeth, dressed and tied my hair up, pulling out an apron from the drawer. I took my time going downstairs, not wanting to trip up in my excitement of getting this part of the day over with.

Standing in the kitchen I took a deep breath. I opened the fridge and took out all the ingredients for breakfast. _French toast, bacon and eggs._ I set the coffee pot on and set up the dining room table. I began to cook. I still hadn't decided on the menu for later.

_He likes everything. What was it I cooked when his eyes lit up? Lasagne and tiramisu!_

_That's it! _I sighed with relief that the decision had been made. With the breakfast cooked and keeping warm under the heat lamps, I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down for a minute. I pulled the diary over to write in it and check the details for Wednesday. Rosalie's information was a little sketchy; one guest, cook anything (Not vegetarian) He likes his food! _Sounds like a friend of Emmett's!_ _I'll work that menu out later when it's quiet._

Everyone came down almost at the same time. The kitchen became a hive of activity.

As everyone chose their breakfast and sat down at the table, Carlisle hung back in the kitchen.

"Bella, have you been able to arrange with your parents to fly out for Mother's Day yet?" He asked as he plated up his food.

"No. I won't be going that weekend. My grandmother is ill, so my mom decided that they should go and visit her. She lives in Florida, so too far away for me to go. Mom said I could go out the following weekend. I trust that'll be okay with you both?" I asked looking at Carlisle and then Esme, sitting at the table.

Esme looked at me and smiled. "Of course, Bella. No problem. I'm sorry about your grandmother. Is it serious?"

"My mom wasn't specific. She's usually fit and healthy, so I'm sure she will recover quickly." I replied.

"Of course she will, Bella. Keep us updated won't you?" Carlisle said as he took his seat. I nodded and subconsciously began to tidy up. I refilled the coffee pot.

"Bella, have you had breakfast yet?" Esme asked from the dining room "Please, put something on a plate and join us." She smiled warmly.

I nodded and plated up a couple of slices of French toast and took in the coffee pot at the same time.

Emmett turned to me with a silly grin on his face. "Sooo, Bella. Edward should be home tonight." I caught the twinkle in his eyes. "Are you going to cook something special for him?" I saw Rosalie shoot him an icy glare. _Emmett just loves to live dangerously._

"Yes, I will be cooking. As to what, you will just have to wait and see. I'm sure Emmett, whatever it is, you will not fail to leave your plate empty." I looked at him knowingly.

"You are just too easy to read, Emmett." Jasper said chuckling as he left the table and took his empty plate to the kitchen. Everyone else followed Jasper's example and cleared the table. I cleared away the left over food and tidied the kitchen.

We wished each other a good day as they filed out of the house. Jessica would be here around eleven. I looked for some minced beef in the freezer and began to defrost it in the microwave taking care not to let it start cooking. With that out of the way, I got the rest of the ingredients together for the root vegetable soup. This would take about three hours to cook, so I had to start now in order to have plenty of time for the other preparations.

Making myself an herbal tea, I took a break at this point to think about the menu for Wednesday. Starter; smoked Salmon with prawns and melon. Main dish; beef Wellington, roasted vegetables. Dessert; apple crumble with crème Anglaise. I looked at the list with satisfaction. _Good job, Bella. Now all you have to do is organise it._

With the soup ingredients prepared and everything else needing very little attention just yet, I made the Tiramisu and this time added a little orange liqueur. This would then have plenty of time to set in the fridge.

An hour later and I was cleaning up again. I rang through the orders to the grocery store, the butchers and the fishmonger and organised the deliveries for the morning.

Minutes later, Jessica arrived. "Hi, Bella. How are you?" She asked cheerily.

"Hi, Jessica. I'm fine. How are you?" I asked politely. She appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

"I had a great weekend. I met someone. He is gorgeous, Bella. I'll tell you all about him when I take my break. You'll have to tell me all about you're weekend in Forks."

_Oh no I won't!_

She hauled all of the cleaning equipment out of the stair cupboard. As she walked up the stairs to the top floor she was singing to herself. _Yes, she must have had a good weekend. So, now maybe poor Edward won't have to hide from her anymore._

I put the vegetables in a large pan on the hob to begin cooking on a low heat.

My cell rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered it straight away. "Hello? Oh, Hi. How are you? Sounds like you didn't get much sleep. Are you sure you'll finish then? Okay. I know, I miss you too. Till later. Bye." _Five. He'll be home by five. Please don't let anything else happen to make him late._ I had to quickly compose myself. My face was flushed. _That would be difficult to explain to Jessica!_

Thinking of Jessica reminded me to make coffee and put to together some sort of lunch, as she was now finishing up on the first floor.

She walked into the kitchen and made herself comfortable at the breakfast bar. She poured two cups of coffee and waited for me to bring over the sandwiches. "So, Bella. How was your weekend?" She said, catching me a little off guard.

"Fine, but it seems that you have got more interesting news to tell me." I quickly deflected her question.

"Oh, Bella! I don't know where to begin. I went out with a couple of friends Friday night to a new club. Anyway, within five minutes we were dancing. One thing led to another and we ended up spending the whole weekend together!" She finally took a breath and took a bite out of her sandwich. "So, what did you do at the weekend?"

I looked at her my mind whirring into action. "Friday I did some sightseeing. I had a walk around the market, had lunch then a boat trip down the river. I couldn't stay too late as I needed to get to Forks ready for Saturday morning. Took a look around Forks on Saturday and spent the day relaxing on Sunday. Nothing much more happened." At least I had told her the truth, of course leaving out all the important information.

She looked at me, slowly shaking her head. "How can you spend a whole weekend sightseeing? When was the last time you let your hair down and had some fun?"

_Wouldn't you like to know?_ "Jessica, I'm not very good at dancing. I've done my fair share of parties and Prom nights." I retorted.

"But don't you want to meet someone? You're not going to meet anyone doing sightseeing and walking around a place that has more trees than population of men. James has a friend he works with, their both in banking. How about we organise something this Friday?"

"Jessica, please! I really don't want you to set anything up for me. I've only just started this job. I don't need any distractions just yet." I looked at her trying hard to out stare her.

She huffed and finally caved. "Okay, you win. For now." She finished her coffee and turned her attention back to cleaning the ground floor of the house.

I added a little more water to the vegetables and began to cook the meat for the Lasagne adding the sauce and seasoning. I put a lid on the saucepan and set it to one side to finish later and made dough for the rolls.

Making my mind up to have my shower now so that I would be out of the way of Jessica and any further questioning, I passed her in the lounge and said that I would see her on Thursday. Half an hour later, I had showered, dressed and dried my hair. I tied it up in a high ponytail.

The vegetables had slow cooked to perfection. I transferred it to the liquidiser and brought the machine into life creating a wonderful terracotta coloured soup. I tasted it and added a little more seasoning. It was then transferred into a clean saucepan ready to heat up gently later. The dough balls had finished proving and were ready to bake.

I put them in the oven to cook while I finished putting the Lasagne together. I quickly made a batch of dough for flatbread, mixing in a little crushed garlic for extra flavour.

I was beginning to get a little nervous. It was four o'clock. Esme and Carlisle were the first home today. They stood in the kitchen for a short time chatting to me as I flitted in and out of the dinning room to lay the table. The bread rolls were cooling, the soup was slowly warming, the Lasagne had almost finished cooking and I put the flatbread in the oven to bake.

My head was so preoccupied with the thought of Edward coming home, I didn't notice when Esme and Carlisle left the kitchen to go and change for dinner. I heard the front door open. It was quiet. I turned on my heel to check the kitchen doorway.

Edward stood there leaning against the doorframe, grinning. _Breathe Bella. Breathe. _I walked over to him blushing and stood in front of him. He reached out his hand and took mine, pulling me closer to him. Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he nuzzled my hair.

"Oh, you do smell good. I've missed you so much." He said and kissed my forehead.

"I missed you too. I missed this." I confessed, blushing again.

"I've spoken to Tom and he has agreed to me going back to more normal hours, whatever they are. Dan is happy to cover me on the odd occasions when I need to get away. I'm not going to spend anymore time away from you than I have to." He tilted my face towards his, gently kissing my mouth.

I pulled away gesturing to the food. Understanding the importance behind the gesture, he walked across the kitchen with me and stood by the sink, leaning against the counter top. I could hardly take my eyes away from him as I checked on the food that was just about ready. I realised that the rest of the family were home. _How did I not notice them arriving home? _I blushed a little realising that I had been distracted at the time. As I poured the soup into the tureen and put the rolls in the bread basket and took it all to the table as the family sat down to eat.

I returned to the kitchen. Edward hadn't moved. I asked him about the emergency the day before. He was very quiet. He explained that an emergency like that was very rare. Even though the staff were highly trained in theory when it actually came down to the real thing it was always hard to deal with the feelings and emotion afterwards. He apologised to me if he was not his usual self.

I looked at him. "You don't need to apologise for anything. I can't imagine having to do deal with the things you do when you're at the hospital. I don't know how much help I would be, but I'm here if you need to talk."

He smiled at me. "Can we talk later after dinner? In private." He reached out to me and ran his fingers through the length of my ponytail. _I hope it will be a good talk._

"Of course we can. Now go and eat before it's all gone. Don't forget Emmett's already in there." He moved quickly into the dinning room. "Emmett put that down, it's got my name on it!"

The main course was now ready to be taken to the table. Jasper came out to the kitchen to help. He carried in the large dish of Lasagne and I took in the flatbread.

An extra chair and cutlery had already been set for me to join the family. I sat next to Edward as Esme served the food.

Edward looked at me smiling broadly. "Umm, Lasagne. You are amazing, Bella. Thank you." He turned to me and kissed my cheek. I blushed slightly at his open display of affection. _This will take some getting used to but I know I will eventually._

"Bella?" Alice began, "We need to get together this weekend with Rose to start thinking seriously about the cake. Mom you'll be around in Forks at the weekend won't you?"

"Yes, Alice. So far we haven't got anything arranged." She turned to Carlisle for unspoken confirmation. "That sounds like a very good idea. We should make a day of it. I'm sure the men can find something to do for the day."

I turned my attention back to getting the dessert as Edward and Emmett helped to clear the table. I took the dessert out of the fridge and set it down on the counter top. Edward looked at it with wide eyes. He picked it up and took it out to the table. I set the coffee pot on as Esme began to serve the dessert. I sat down at the table and had a couple of spoonfuls before collecting the full coffee pot.

"You added something different this time, Bella." Esme stated. "Is it orange liqueur?

"Yes, I thought it would make a change." I replied.

Esme nodded in agreement. Everyone sat back in their chairs enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

As I cleared the table, Edward helped to bring out the dirty dishes and I loaded the dishwasher. My working day was fast coming to an end.

"Have you finished now?" He asked, snaking his arm around my waist.

"Yes, Bella has finished." Carlisle said clearly from the dinning room table.

We chuckled. "Thank you." I said as I put my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. I wanted to be close to him but I need to be closer to him than this. My need for him was fast becoming the only thing I could think of when we held each other.

He took my hand and led me towards the stairs. We wished everyone a good night as we passed the table. Emmett mumbled something that I didn't catch but I did hear him apologise to Esme.

Edward led me up to my rooms opening the door to the lounge. He motioned for me to sit down and then sat next to me, staring at the coffee table in front of him. He seemed a little nervous but I wasn't sure why. The evening had gone so well and he had paid me no less attention than he usually did.

I sat looking at my hands in my lap waiting for him to begin talking.

He took a deep breath, leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees. He looked tense. I was beginning to dread whatever it was he was going to talk about.

He pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. "Bella," he began. "When dad spoke to me on Monday he said something that got me thinking."

I wanted to say something but kept my mouth shut. "Dad explained to me that he and mom fell in love very quickly. They had only known each other for a couple of weeks but knew that what they felt was real. They couldn't see themselves being with anyone else." He looked at me now.

"Bella, I know I don't want to be with anyone else but you. I have never felt this way before. I've been going over how I feel about you. I felt something happen, the first time I saw you. I didn't understand it. I've fallen for you, Bella, really hard." He said taking my hand and entwining his fingers with mine. His touch made my breath hitch and my stomach flip-flop.

"If my dad knows me as well as I'm sure he does, then I'm in love with you, Bella. Absolutely and totally in love with you." He lifted my hand up to his lips and kissed the back of my hand, looking at me through his lashes with his dark green 'I want you' eyes.

I sat for a while lost for words. I searched his face for any sign that this might be a joke or he had suddenly changed his mind and wanted to take it all back. But there was nothing but sincerity in his face. He meant every word.

As I thought about his words again a warm feeling washed over me as I finally accepted the fact that I felt the same way about him. I loved him.

"Edward, I love you." I said. His eyes refocused out of his momentary daze.

A smile came to his lips. "Say that again, Bella."

"I said, I love you." I replied.

"No, say my name." He begged.

"Edward, I love you." I repeated. I finally realised why he'd asked me to say his name. This was the first time I had said his name out loud. Not in my head but out loud. I smiled at him

"I told you that somehow I would get you to say my name when you're awake. It sounds wonderful when you say it. Say it again." He pleaded gently.

I leaned toward his ear and whispered, "Edward. Edward, I love you. Edward, I want you." My cheeks flushed as did the rest of me when I said these words. These words would now mean my imagination would become a reality.

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note; **I am sure some of you lovely readers will say 'too soon' and others will say 'about time'. Please let me know what you think by reviewing. I know what it's like to fall in love quickly. I fell in love with my husband on our first date! I've known my husband now, for fourteen years and we've been married for nearly eleven years. So you see, I speak from experience that these things do happen. Take care.


	20. Chapter 20

**Authors note;** First of all let me thank all of you for the lovely, encouraging reviews. You are all fantastic. So as a reward here is the next chapter. I really enjoyed writing this. I smiled a lot when I was working on it. I hope you do too!

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB you are FAB!

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I think this story owns me now.

**COOK WANTED**

Wednesday

I woke up this morning happy knowing that Edward and I had finally been honest with each other. I loved him and he loved me. The relief I felt was huge. I was beginning to think that we were a mistake and not meant to be. When he explained what Carlisle had said to him Monday morning, I was overjoyed. We had the approval of the family. All the family. Spending time together was not going to be a problem anymore. We didn't have to worry about being caught out anymore. Living together in the same house was going to be much easier, surely.

I sat up in bed and checked the time. I had fifteen minutes to get ready and be downstairs to start cooking the breakfast. Washed and dressed, with my apron on, I stood in the middle of the kitchen trying to decide what to cook. Pancakes.

With the coffee pot on, the orange juice ready and the table laid, I began mixing the batter. I had no sooner made the first batch and Emmett was ready and waiting at the table.

"Morning, Emmett." I said cheerily.

"Morning, goddess." He replied. I smiled at him. I no longer blushed at this nickname, it simply made me smile.

"Here Emmett, the first batch is ready. Be careful there're hot." I warned him. He began eating immediately. _That man must have an asbestos mouth._ I poured myself a coffee and one for Emmett, taking it in to him.

I cooked scrambled eggs and some bacon as an alternative choice and finished making another couple of batches of pancakes. Within half an hour everyone was up and ready for the day.

Edward wandered into the kitchen smiling at me. He had showered and smelt delicious, his hair still damp but as unruly as ever. He kept a safe distance as I was cooking, just giving me gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Did you sleep well, Bella?" He asked as I put a few pancakes on a plate for him.

"Yes, how about you?" I answered. Being able to talk so freely was so liberating.

He hesitated for a moment before answering. "Eventually. I was thinking. We should do something special Friday. I already have something in mind."

I shut the dishwasher door and turned to look at him. Sure enough there was that grin. _Looks like we're thinking along the same lines._ I couldn't open my mouth, so I just nodded. His smile broadened as he went to sit down and eat his breakfast. I plated up some food for myself and joined everyone at the table. The chair that had been set for me last night had not moved. I felt very much that I belonged.

"I take it you have decided on the menu for tonight, Bella?" Esme said, breaking me out of my thoughts and reminding me of the importance of the coming evening. This would be my first Guest night. I would have to make sure that not just the food was perfect but also the table.

"What have you got planned, Bella? I'll organise the wine before I go to work." Carlisle asked.

"Salmon for the starter, Beef Wellington for the main followed by apple crumble."

The table was silent. "Is there a problem with the menu?" I asked looking at each of their faces.

Esme was the first to speak. "Oh, no Bella dear. No problem at all. It all sounds wonderful. I just hope having Edward around today isn't going to cause any distractions for you."

My cheeks coloured. "No, Esme. Don't worry. I have a few jobs that Edward can help me with." I answered, looking at Edward out of the corner of my eye. "You had better get yourself an apron out of the drawer. Peeling vegetables will be your first task."

"No, problem. I'll help clear the table." He stood up and immediately set about gathering the empty plates.

"Are you feeling alright, bro? You're coming over all kinda domesticated these days." Emmett asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"If you're not careful Emmett, I'll put your name down for the weekend, to cook lunch for everyone." Edward warned him.

"You know how much I like a challenge. Bring it on!" A very confident Emmett replied.

Everyone laughed at this point. "Come on, chef. We need to get to work. I've got a fleet of cars to get through today and I'm short staffed." Rosalie said, pulling Emmett by the hand away from the table.

Everyone began to leave the table. Alice followed me into the kitchen. "Bella? You and I really need to sit down and catch up. Rosalie has told me some of the weekend's events but I want to hear it all." She looked at me searching my face for any unspoken hints_. Just keep your thoughts in check Bella. Just for now anyway!_

"Okay, Alice. No problem but not today, okay?" I replied. She seemed satisfied with my answer and disappeared to catch up with Jasper.

Carlisle came into the kitchen with two bottles of wine. "These should go well with the menu for tonight. Edward can make sure there are some beers in the fridge just in case wine is not this guest's preferred drink. I'll see you both later. Have a good day and Edward please don't get in Bella's way. I'm really looking forward to dinner." He said ginning at Edward and patting him on the back as he left.

The house fell silent.

"The food will be delivered by nine but I do have a couple of jobs I can start on now. If you want to do something else in the meantime, go ahead. I'll give you a call when you can start peeling." I said to Edward as I poured myself out a glass of water and set it down close to where I'd be working.

"Umm." He said making his way over to where I was standing, getting out the ingredients for the pastry. He snaked his arms around my waist pressing his body close to mine. Immediately my body flushed. I shut my eyes, relishing the sensation.

"You need to remember, mister. I'm in charge today so don't upset the cook." I turned to face him. I reached up to hold his face and pulled him down to me. I kissed him, taking him by surprise. "Now, go and do whatever it is you do when you have time on your hands."

He smiled at me. "I'll go and check my e-mails then. Just make sure you call when you want me to do something, okay?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded and watched as he left the kitchen and walked to his room. _Umm, if I didn't have so much to do today… _

By the time nine o'clock arrived I had made the pastry for the beef, the crumble for the dessert and begun to get out the linen and cutlery for the table. The doorbell chimed. Edward, like something possessed, ran down the stairs and opened the front door taking the delivery box and bags and setting them on the breakfast bar. He started to unpack everything and I set aside an area for him to begin peeling the vegetables and apples.

We chatted easily. He talked about the work he did in the ICU Monday, leaving out the graphic details. He mentioned a Senior Nurse who was going to retire soon and how she would be missed by all the staff. Apparently she had worked with Carlisle when he worked in the Emergency Department.

"They're organising a party for her. I'd love it if you came with me. It will be in about three weeks time. Would you like to go?" He asked eagerly.

"I'd love to, Edward. The weekend after next I'll be going to Phoenix to visit my parents. I would have gone this weekend, as it's Mother's Day, but my grandmother isn't well, so they're flying out to see her. What do you usually do for Esme on the Mother's Day?" I asked, wondering if I needed to organise something.

"We always take mom out for dinner. I'll have to check with Alice that she has it all arranged. We usually come back to Seattle the Sunday afternoon before we go out. You will come with us won't you Bella?" He asked.

"As long as that's okay with Esme." I said. Knowing that he was happy about going public made me smile. _I'll have to talk to Alice about getting something new to wear. _Mild panic set in as I realised how limited my clothing selection was.

Edward made quick work of peeling and cutting the vegetables. He put the vegetables in a saucepan and covered them with water and did the same with the potatoes. I showed him how I wanted the apples to be peeled and cut and he set to work.

Once the apples were done, he put them in a saucepan ad covered them with water and I added a little lemon juice. I switched on the hob and began to cook off the apples.

I par boiled the vegetables and potatoes. When that process was done, I set them aside to cool. We cleared the counter tops so that I could make a couple of sandwiches for our lunch. Edward made the herbal tea.

We sat close to each other. He rested his hand on my knee, tracing circles with his thumb. I welcomed this contact, reaching forward to run my fingers through his hair. His face relaxed at my touch.

"What do you think you'll be doing at the hospital in a couple of year's time?" I asked.

"I would love to still be there. I'm not sure if I'll still be in ICU. I've wondered about going into surgery. Dad thinks I'd be good at it with my steady hands. I would have to make up my mind soon so I don't miss my chance of applying." He answered and then looked at me. "So what about you? What would you like to be doing in two years from now?"

"Apart from still cooking for this family, I'm not sure. I've always thought about going into teaching. Teaching children how to cook. In this day and age it's a very valuable lesson to learn. I'll have to get my truck back on the road though. I can't use one of Emmett's cars forever!"

"Emmett said that your truck was in storage." He stated.

"Yep, Ben, an old friend has a garage. He's very kind to let me store it there." I replied.

"Why don't you get Rosalie to have a look at it? I'm sure she wouldn't mind. You obviously think a lot about the truck if you're keeping it." He said as he finished his cup of tea.

"Rosalie seems to be so busy at the moment. I would feel as though I'm taking advantage of the fact that you and I are together." I looked at him grinning.

"What's the matter, Bella? What are you thinking?" Edward asked, looking at me puzzled.

"It just sounded so strange saying out loud that you and I are together." I replied.

"Yeah it does, doesn't? But I like it. Bella and Edward. It makes me feel good as I say our names." He said as he reached to touch my cheek with a very distant look.

I snapped myself out of my revere. "I think I'll concentrate on the starter for a little while. As we're a team now, would you get the crystal glasses out and put them on the table please. If you don't want to set them out I can do that a little later."

"Sure, no problem. I'll set them up. We're having two different wines are we?" He asked as he made his way to the dinning room cupboard.

"Yes, and get some beer glasses out and leave them on the sideboard. I don't think Esme will want anyone drinking out of bottles tonight. Oh, and get some brandy and whisky glasses out just in case after dinner drinks are on offer." I turned my attention back to placing the salmon and prawns on plates and covering them to put them in the fridge ready to finish later.

"If this guest drinks everything that's on offer, he'll be staying the night!" Edward said, chuckling.

"And waking up in the morning with a great hangover. I hope he can hold his drink. If not I'll have to make sure his a large breakfast to cure him." We chuckled again.

I put the vegetables and potatoes in the oven to start roasting. The apples had cooked and I checked them adding sugar to make sure they were the right sweetness.

Edward had finished setting the table. There were just the napkins to fold. I wandered over to the table something was missing. Candles.

"Edward do you know if Esme has any crystal candle holders and candles in the cupboard?" I asked.

"Let me have a look." He replied. He began to look through the cupboard, finally announcing, "Yes! I found them!" He pulled them out and placed the candle holders and white candles on the table. By this time I had folded the napkins into open fan shapes and had set them toward the centre of the table at the head of each place setting.

"There isn't a place set for you, Bella." Edward stated.

"And so there shouldn't be! I'm cooking remember. I'll be wearing my employees' hat tonight. Hey, and my formal uniform. Wait till you see me in that!" I said, grinning at him.

"If you look too hot in it I won't be able to concentrate on behaving myself in company. This guest had better behave himself as well!"

"Don't be silly, Edward. He's probably some old granddad with lots of money to spend on cars. Emmett's got a business to run after all." I said and Edward nodded in agreement.

"Well, I think the table looks great. What do you need to do now, Bella?" He asked making his way back to the kitchen.

"I still have to make the sauce for the starter, part cook the beef, put the apple crumble together and make the crème Anglaise. Would you please slice some lettuce, tomatoes and peel and slice a cucumber for me?" I asked, getting out the salad stuff and a chopping board.

"Sure I can do that. Anything else?" He asked, peeling the cucumber.

"No that should do for now. I'm going to put the meat in now. While that is cooking I'm going to have my shower. So, can you please make sure to check on everything that's in the oven for me while I'm up stairs? I'll be as quick as I can." I gave him a kiss on his cheek and quickly exited the kitchen. _I so want him to come up with me but this dinner is very important and I mustn't mess it up. I will make it up to him on Friday._

I went up to my room as quickly as possible without tripping or falling, had a shower and dried my hair, putting it in a plait. I changed into my formal uniform. It looked good on me. I was sure that Edward would approve. _Let's see if he does._

I made my way back to the kitchen. He was sitting down passing the time looking through the kitchen diary. He looked up and growled. I smiled.

"I've never seen a cook look as sexy as you. You would be on my own personal menu tonight for sure." He said walking towards me.

"You say the sweetest things, Edward. I do agree with you though, this is a very smart uniform. The edging on the chef's jacket is a nice touch. And look!" I said pointing to my name embroidered on the front. "It looks impressive, doesn't it?"

"Very smart. Angela thinks of everything." He pulled me towards him, kissing my forehead. "You smell wonderful, Bella. I could just…"

I kissed his nose and said. "Sorry, no time now. I need to check the vegetables and potatoes. You make us a cup of tea while I do that. Remember you are not to distract me." I said, steering him towards the kettle. He looked like a little boy who had been banned from playing the Xbox!

The food was cooking really well and the meat only needed a little while longer before taking it out of the oven to rest and then wrapping it in the pastry. I made the sauce for the starter in that time and placed it in the fridge when it was made. I put some vegetable water in a small pan to start making the sauce for the beef. I added some of the juices from the beef and sieved it to make sure it was nice and smooth. I added a little red cooking wine and corn flour to thicken it. With that done I took the meat out of the oven and put the vegetables and potatoes in the bottom of the oven so that they wouldn't burn.

Everything was coming together very well. The family would be home soon and so would the guest.

"You had better go and get changed, Edward." I said, as we finished drinking the tea. "They'll all be home soon."

"I've really enjoyed today. It makes me appreciate you more when I watch you cook and see the care you take just to make sure that mom and dad are happy. I love you, Bella. You are wonderful." He said. He stood in front of me looking rather delicious. I swallowed hard as I looked into his eyes. He leaned in towards me and kissed my open mouth, sucked at my bottom lip and sighed as he pulled away.

"I love you too, Edward." I struggled to whisper. He had dazzled me into a stupor.

He chuckled as he made his way up to his room. I watched his fantastic body walk up the stairs and disappear. _Umm, Friday isn't long now, is it?_

Esme and Carlisle were the first to get home. Esme's face beamed when she saw the table set for the evening.

"This looks lovely, Bella. I hope Edward did his fair share of helping today?" She asked.

"Oh yes, he would make a very good commis chef one day." I replied. We smiled at each other.

Carlisle opened the red wine to allow it to breathe. He turned to me. "You look very smart, Bella. I think we must have the best looking cook in the Seattle social circle."

I blushed a little making him smile. "Come on, you charmer. Let's go and get changed. Our guest will be here soon." Esme said as she tugged at his hand.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and the dinner guest all arrived at the same time. Alice and Jasper went upstairs while Emmett and Rosalie showed the guest into the lounge.

"Would you like something to drink?" Emmett asked the guest.

"A beer please, Emmett. That'd be great." Was the reply. I thought I recognised the voice but I couldn't be sure. It was a voice I hadn't heard for a few years.

Emmett came to the fridge and took out a beer. I pointed to the beer glasses on the sideboard, so that he would realise to take a glass with him. He rolled his eyes at me. I shot him a glare as he went to fetch a glass.

Esme and Carlisle returned down stairs and kept the guest company while Rosalie and Emmett went to get changed. They chatted easily in the lounge. I still couldn't place the voice. The voice was deep and rich in tone, with any easy laugh.

I turned my attention back to more important matters like checking the food and wrapping the pastry around the beef and putting it back in the oven. Esme came to check the timing with me. I told her the starter would be ready in five minutes. As if by magic everyone was now downstairs. Edward was being introduced to the guest.

I could hardly believe my ears!

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note;** I know! I'm being really cruel aren't I. So in order for me to write the next chapter I need you to REVIEW please! Thank you for reading. Take care.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's note; **Wow, you are all brilliant. So many reviews for the last chapter and so many hits. I was really happy with all the response. Hope you enjoy this chapter and pat yourselves on the back if you got the name of the guest right!

**Beta reader; **Many thanks NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Wednesday night continued…..

"Edward, this is Jacob Black. He is going to be running a new repair shop we're going to set up in Forks." Emmett said.

"Pleased to meet you, Edward." Jacob said.

"And you Jacob." Edward said.

I stood in the kitchen dumbstruck. Jacob Black. I hadn't seen him for about four years. I had become friends with his sister, Rebecca, at Catering College. We did all of our classes together. I had met Jacob, the youngest in the family, only a couple of times. He would visit her when he was on holiday, to check up on her for their father's sake. I remember Jacob being a very warm and amiable person. The three of us had gone out once or twice for dinner. I remembered that we went to a diner where they served large T-bone steaks. We laughed…a lot. _I can't believe he's here!_

I quickly got my head together and took the plated starters out of the fridge to finish off. I added the garnish and put the accompanying sauce in small dishes, one for each person. I set everything on a tray ready to serve. Esme had gathered everyone to the table. They were all seated now.

I took a deep breath and walked into the dinning area to serve the first course. Everyone was busy chatting about the new car repair shop and the ideas for it and its future. Jacob was very animated about it. I knew that he was very good at doing repairs. Rebecca always spoke proudly of his ability of being able to strip down an engine and put it together again in a matter of days and have it working perfectly. It was his gift. He spent most of his time helping to keep friends and neighbours cars on the road in exchange for books for school or a meal. He had a very healthy appetite!

I made my way around the table. I wasn't surprised that he hadn't taken any notice of me. After all it had been four years!

"Thank you so much, Bella. This looks lovely." Esme said, looking around the table at everyone eating with enthusiasm.

Jacob's head snapped up immediately. He looked at me for a moment. "Bella? Bella Swan?" He said, a broad grin appearing on his face his brown eyes twinkling as he looked at me. "It is you, Bells! I can't believe it! How long has it been?"

"Four years, I think Jacob. You look well." I said smiling back at him.

He stood up from the table, abandoning his food and oblivious to the stares emanating from the table. In two strides he was standing in front of me and the next second hugged me like he had lost and found his favourite teddy bear. I stood a little shocked at this embrace and he squeezed a bit too hard.

By the look on Edward's face, he was shocked too. _Oh, no please don't jump to the wrong conclusion!_

"Okay, okay. Enough with the squeezing Jacob. I have to get the meal ready otherwise it's going to be ruined." He let go, stepping back with wide eyes. He was still Jacob. Much taller though. From my guess he was at least six foot four. His rich dark hair was neatly tied back into a ponytail. The blush that tinted his cheeks was not quite camouflaged by his russet coloured skin.

"You look wonderful, Bells. It's great to see that you didn't give up cooking. Rebecca said you were brilliant. We need to catch up. Later, okay?" He asked, eagerly as he sat back at the table. Everyone around the table looked a little perplexed.

I went back to the kitchen to make sure that the next course was ready. As I warmed up the sauce and took out the Beef Wellington to carve, the questions began.

"So, Jacob, how do you know Bella?" Edward asked.

"Through my sister, Rebecca. She was friends with Bella at Catering College. Bella was very good to my sister. Rebecca was very homesick at the beginning and Bella helped her through that. We went out a couple of times. They were good times." Jacob said. I could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was smiling. Smiling was something that Jacob did a lot.

"So, what is your sister doing now? Is she working in catering?" Esme asked.

"No. She got married last year. She just cooks at home now and for the family of course, when we visit. She stayed in Phoenix and met her husband there. She'll be so pleased to hear about Bella. I can't wait to tell her." Jacob said.

I peeked into the dinning area to see that everyone had finished their starter. I took the tray back out and cleared the table. Jacob watched me, smiling as I worked my way around the table. I looked over to Edward. He wasn't smiling. _Damn. What is going on in that head of his?_

I returned to the kitchen and emptied the tray and loaded it with the main course, quickly putting the apple crumble in the oven to cook. I took the tray out to the table and set the dishes in the centre on the trivets.

Almost at the same time Jacob and Emmett said, "Wow, Bella that looks good!"

Everyone chuckled at them. They were like two peas in a pod when it came to food!

I made my way back to the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief that the main part of the meal was now out of the way. I turned my attention to making the crème Anglaise.

The chatting in the dinning room had turned back to the arrangements for the repair shop. Rosalie was asking questions now. Jacob sounded confident and answered her questions without any hesitation. He obviously knew what he was talking about and Rosalie seemed impressed with him. He made Emmett laugh a couple of times. Those two were definitely on the same wavelength.

The dessert was ready. I kept the dessert warm waiting for a sign that they were finished. Emmett didn't let me down.

"Bella? That was fantastic! Thank you!" He said loudly.

I went in with the tray to clear the table. "Well Bella. I don't know why we ever went out to eat. Your cooking is so much better than the diner food from what I remember. We had a lot of fun together didn't we?" Jacob asked, leaning back in his chair looking at me.

I gave a weak smile. Edward had become very quiet and was now looking at me intently. I was beginning to get the feeling that this evening was not going to end well.

Rosalie shot me a glare at this point. _Oh, not that look again! How am I going to sort this out? I wish Jacob would just be quiet._

I took the tray back to the kitchen and emptied it ready for the dessert to go out. I carefully took the apple crumble out of the oven. I poured the crème Anglaise into a serving jug and put both dishes on the tray. As I took it out to the table Jacob sat up in his chair. His face was eager, like a puppy waiting to go out for a walk.

"So, Bella, how long have you been working in Seattle?" He asked, still smiling.

"About seven months now." I placed the dessert on the trivet close to Esme so that she could serve everyone.

"Bella, started working for us a couple of weeks ago." Carlisle added. He smiled at me encouragingly. _That's exactly what I need at the moment. Thanks Carlisle._

"Yes, Bella has settled in very well, here." Rosalie added, looking over to Jacob and then to Edward. Edward was shifting uneasily in his chair. Rosalie gave Edward a small smile, acknowledging that she understood how he felt.

I went back to the kitchen. I couldn't understand why Edward was so quiet. Then I replayed the conversation in my head, trying to work out what the trigger was for Edward's sudden mood change.

When Jacob had talked about going out together but hadn't included the fact that his sister came with us_. Edward obviously thinks that Jacob and I had dated._ From Edward's reaction at the table this was a disaster. _Somehow he has to know the truth!_ I would have my chance once the meal had finished. I had to put this right.

"Thank you, Bella. Would you put the coffee on now please? We shall move over to the lounge shortly." Esme said, giving me a small polite smile from the table. _This is all going very_ _wrong._ I clicked on the coffee pot and took the tray to the table to clear away the dishes. I looked over to Edward as I did this. I tried to plead with my eyes but he was looking passed me, straight across the table at Jacob. Jacob was totally unaware of Edward's watchful eyes.

"Hey, Bells. You'll have to give me your number. I'll pass it on to Rebecca. I'm sure she'd love to get in touch again. Maybe we could go out again some time." He said a bit too cheerily. _Please stop talking, Jacob!_

My mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour now. "From what I remember Jacob, when you visited and we all went out for dinner, it seemed to be Rebecca picking up the tab each time. Did you ever pay her back with dinners or car repairs?" I said, hoping this would set the record straight. I felt myself holding my breath, waiting for some sort of reaction.

I saw Edward visibly relax and finally look at me with relief in his eyes. I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"No, I didn't. Anyway I thought that was what big sisters were for. Looking after their little brothers." He said, laughing.

"You are something else, Jacob Black. How does your sister put up with you?" I retorted. "I'll go and get the coffee organised. Would you like me to take it into the lounge, Mrs Cullen?"

"Yes, please, Bella. Thank you for a wonderful meal. You excelled yourself tonight." Esme said, smiling at me, a much happier and warmer smile this time.

I smiled back at her and left the room. I noticed Rosalie give me a little side wards glance and then look over at Edward.

The conversation continued in the lounge. I took the tray of coffee out and set it on the low table. I went back to the dinning table to finish cleaning up. Edward had hung back a little, to allow everyone else to walk ahead into the lounge. He reached over to me and held my hand.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." I whispered back. We were back on track.

He made his way over to the lounge, sitting in his usual spot so that he could see me. Each time I looked up to him, he would look at me with his dangerous eyes. I blushed. He smiled. The blush was just for him and he knew it.

I finished cleaning up in the kitchen and set the dishwasher on. I quickly checked if more coffee was needed. The pot was almost empty so I set another one on. I noticed that Carlisle was handing a brandy glass to Jacob and Emmett and one for himself. Emmett proposed a toast to the new venture. The men raised their glasses to each other and took a sip of the rich amber liquid. It seemed that the deal was sealed. I felt pleased for Jacob. He deserved a break. He had always worked hard for whatever it was he wanted. The coffee was ready so I took it into the lounge.

Emmett looked over at Jacob. "I think it might be a good idea if you stayed here tonight. You can't drive now you've had this." He said holding up his own brandy glass.

"You're right. You don't mind do you Mrs Cullen?" Jacob answered and looked over to Esme for an answer.

"Of course not Jacob. We have a spare room ready for you. You just relax. Emmett will take you up and show you the room when you're ready. Bella, I think your day is finished now. You still have breakfast to see to in the morning. Thank you once again for a lovely meal." She said with her warm and genuine smile.

"Your welcome. I'll see you all in the morning then. Goodnight everyone." I said and made my way up the stairs. I breathed out deeply, thankful that the evening was over on so many levels.

"Goodnight, Bella." Everyone replied which also included Rosalie_. I just hope she has seen that Edward is okay about everything. If not I'll have to speak to her in the morning._

"See you in the morning, Bells." Jacob added, standing up, watching me go upstairs.

I made my way to my room quite exhausted from the whole day. I would've loved to have a soak in the bath but it was getting too late for that. I decided to set my alarm a little earlier than usual so I could wake myself up with a refreshing shower instead. I got changed into my pyjamas and took out the plait in my hair. I snuggled down into bed, trying hard to get comfortable.

There was a light knock at the door. I sat up turning the bedside light on. There was another knock. I got out of bed and walked over to the door. I opened it gently and peeked through the gap. It was Edward. I opened the door fully taking in the wonderful and welcome sight.

"I wanted to come and say goodnight properly." He said, looking very nervous.

"Come on in." I gestured and shut the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, were you asleep?" He asked looking at the disturbed bedding.

"No, I'd only just got settled. You seem to have something on your mind Edward. Come on sit down. What's the matter?" I said getting back into bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed a couple of feet away. He reached out for my hand and held it, tracing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. I sighed gently. His touch was driving me crazy.

"I don't know where to begin, Bella. I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did at the table. I was a bit surprised that you knew Jacob Black. You hadn't mentioned him when you talked about College. I'm so…"

I put my forefinger on his lips. He needed to stop before he said something he might really regret. "Edward you misunderstood. Simple as that. I must say though, Jacob did make it sound like there was something going on. He has a way with words, a bit like Emmett. Includes some things and misses out the important parts of information. I don't actually know Jacob that well. I only met him a couple of times and I haven't seen him in four years."

"I'm so sorry, Bella. Do you forgive me?" He looked up at me, he pleading eyes searching my face.

"There is nothing to forgive." I grinned and chuckled at him. "You know, thinking about it, it was kind of nice that you were jealous. You looked really hot giving Jacob that death glare." I pulled Edward closer to me. He shuffled along the edge of the bed.

I cupped his face in my hands, holding him still, focusing my eyes on his lips. I leaned towards him and gently kissed his mouth. "I…" I said, kissing him again. "Love…" and again. "You."

He placed his hands around my waist, pulling me a little closer to him. "I Love you, Bella Swan." He kissed my mouth, this time a little harder, breathing deeply. I pulled away gently, resting my hands on his warm chest. I really didn't want this to end up as 'making up' sex for my first time. His emotions were too out of kilter right now. He let out a small sigh moving his hands from my waist, to my face and then running his fingers through my hair. He looked into my eyes pleadingly again.

"Can I stay with you tonight? To sleep. Just to sleep. I just want to hold you. I need to be close to you." He lowered his hands and nervously fiddled with the edge of the comforter.

"Yes, Edward you can." I said, pulling the edge of the comforter back from the bed. He slipped his socks and shoes off, followed by his trousers and shirt, leaving his boxers on. He left his clothes on the floor. He crawled in beside me, putting out his arm for me to snuggle up to him. I lay down, pressed into his side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, nuzzling my hair. I draped my arm across his chest breathing in his scent.

"Goodnight Bella. See you in the morning." He said wearily.

"Goodnight Edward. Sleep well." I said, listening to his breathing, growing deeper.

_Everything will be okay._ I told myself as I drifted off to sleep.

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note;** Will everything be okay? Poor Bella has to cope with Jacob in the morning! In the meantime please review. It will encourage me to write the next chapter more quickly. Take care.


	22. Chapter 22

**Authors note; **Many, many thanks for all the reviews. So, as a thank you, here is the next chapter. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but this story is mine.

**COOK WANTED**

Thursday

I woke up gradually, opening one eye and turned over to check the time. I smiled as I saw Edward, in my bed, lying on his back, breathing deeply. The sheet was half way down his body, exposing his beautiful form to me. I breathed in and let out a long sigh. I could not be happier. _This is exactly where he should be, next to me first thing_ _in the mornings. _I dragged my eyes away from him, looking at the clock. I had fifteen minutes before the alarm would go off. I got up, carefully, trying not to shift the bed too much, switching the alarm off as I made my way to the bathroom and shut the door gently.

I showered in record time, wrapping a towel around my hair and putting on my robe. I carefully opened the bathroom door. He was still sound asleep. _Do I wake him up or leave him? It's still really early. Leave him. _With the decision made I quickly got dressed, put an apron on and towel dried my hair. I brushed through it, finally putting it up in a high ponytail.

I went to my kitchen and made a slice of toast to eat on the way downstairs. I put the coffee pot on, switched on the heat lamps and poured out fresh orange into a jug and set it on the dinning table, quickly laying the table while I was there.

I got out all the ingredients for breakfast, deciding on making pancakes as well as bacon, French toast, scrambled eggs and tomatoes and prepared a selection of fresh fruit. _If that doesn't help to satisfy Emmett and Jacob's empty stomachs, nothing will. _

Rosalie was the first person down. She stood in the kitchen doorway. "Morning, Bella. This looks good. Can I help myself?" She waited for me to answer.

"Morning, Rosalie. Of course you can, here take this plate." I said passing the plate to her. _I feel a question coming. _I was right, she had that certain look on her face.

"Bella, Jacob is just a friend, isn't he?" She said, studying my face.

"Rosalie, please don't worry. He is just a friend. I care too much about Edward to do anything to hurt him. Really, Rosalie there is nothing to worry about." I said hoping that I had reassured her.

She looked at me for another moment. "Okay, Bella. But Jacob seemed pretty persistent last night. I'll be watching him this morning." She said winking at me.

_It actually makes me feel better that she will be looking out for me. _I took the coffee pot to the table.

Jasper was the next person to come down for breakfast. "Morning, Bella. Are you okay this morning?" He asked, looking a little concerned.

"Morning, Jasper. Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I looked at him puzzled. He lowered his voice noticing that Rosalie was sitting eating breakfast.

"Edward was a little tense last night. I had a quick word with him, before he went up to see you. I don't want you to think that I'm prying. I just wanted to make sure you and Edward were okay." He took a plate and began to select his breakfast.

"Thank you Jasper, you're not the only one who's concerned." I motioned with my eyes towards the dining room. He nodded to me with a raised eyebrow and gave a small smile.

He went and sat down at the table and gave Rosalie a warm greeting. Alice bounced into the kitchen, seemingly extra chirpy this morning. "This looks great, Bella. Thank you." She said. She quickly filled a plate and made her way to the table.

I took a batch of pancakes and placed them in the middle of the table. As if the pancakes had called out to him, Emmett sat down at the table with his plate at the ready.

"Morning, Bella. I'll start with the pancakes I think. Do you think there'll be enough for Jacob as well?" He said grinning.

"I'll just have to keep making more when they run out, won't I?" I replied making my way back to make more pancake batter.

Jacob made his way downstairs with Carlisle and Esme following.

"Jacob, make yourself comfortable. I'll get a plate for you before the pancakes disappear." Esme said, smiling over at Emmett.

"Morning everyone!" Carlisle said as he made his way to the kitchen to select his food.

Esme came over to me in the kitchen. "Are you okay, Bella dear?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes, I'm fine Esme." I replied quietly. She smiled at me and patted my arm, happily reassured.

"Jacob, you'll need to come over to the office this morning. There are a few documents that need you're signature." Rosalie began. "As you're here in Seattle you may as well sign them today. Is that okay with you?" She added. Her tone did not offer him an alternative arrangement.

"Yeah that'll be fine. When I get back to Forks, I'll make a list of equipment needed. I could drop it off to you at the weekend, if you're in Forks." He suggested.

"I'll be quite busy with wedding arrangements this weekend and the men will be out for a while. Leave it till Monday morning. I'll come round to see you and we'll go through the list together then." _Rosalie is definitely in a 'don't mess with me mister' mood. Don't argue with her Jacob! It's not worth it. _

"No problem, Monday morning will be fine." Jacob said. He sounded defeated. He made his way into the kitchen with his empty plate looking at the food under the heat lamps.

"Wow, Bella this looks good. This family are really lucky to have you. They'll have to watch that someone doesn't snatch you up and marry you." He said laughing a little nervously. Emmett laughed along with him. Then I heard him let out a small yelp as Rosalie elbowed his ribs. Everyone else was silent. Jacob looked over at me smiling broadly. He seemed hesitant to leave the kitchen.

"So, where is Edward then? Doesn't he have to get ready for work?" He asked.

"He'll have his breakfast a little later. He doesn't have to rush today." I answered before anyone could get a word in. It had the desired affect. Jacob was completely silent now. He didn't know what to say. He made his way back to the table.

Rosalie began to talk about the Wedding cake and arrangements for the weekend.

I cleaned up in the kitchen a little and put another pot of coffee on. I switched on the kettle to make myself an herbal tea. _I so want Edward to come downstairs now. I'm already missing him and he's only upstairs._

I got myself a plate and selected my breakfast, sitting at the breakfast bar, so that I was able to see when the family were ready to leave. Alice left the table first. She walked into the kitchen and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Have a good day, Bella. I'll see you later." She kissed my cheek and left the kitchen.

Jasper followed her upstairs, followed by Emmett and everyone else. Jacob sat at the table and poured himself another cup of coffee.

I finished my breakfast and moved over to the dishwasher to begin loading. Jacob watched me as I took the tray out to the table to clear it.

"Thank you Bella. That was a lovely breakfast. So, you have really settled in with the Cullens. They seem to care about you a lot." I noticed Edward making his way across the landing to his room. He shot me a smile. _Good he's awake. He'll be down soon._

"They're a lovely family to work for, Jacob. I'm very lucky to have this job. Will you want another coffee or have you finished?" I asked maybe a little too sharply. _Too late now, you've said it Bella._

"I think I'm done now. I'll just wait for Rosalie and Emmett to come down." He answered, leaning back in his chair still watching me with a grin on his face.

I walked back into the kitchen and finished loading the dishwasher. I got a clean plate out ready for Edward, clicking the kettle back on. _Good timing._ He walked down the stairs making me relax immediately. He gave me one of his knee weakening grins as he made his way into the kitchen. I could sense Jacob watching me but I didn't care. My attention was on Edward and his eyes. I handed him the plate and turned to make him a tea as he selected his food. Without hesitation he sat down at the breakfast bar, glancing over to Jacob at the table. He gave Jacob a courtesy nod and turned his attention to his breakfast. I handed him his tea and went back to the table to collect Jacob's empty coffee cup. He looked over at Edward and then to me.

"Yes. I can see you've settled in very well." Jacob said. "He's very lucky." He mumbled so that only I could hear. I gave him a small smile and returned to the kitchen, putting some of the left over food in containers.

"It'll be alright if I let Rebecca know that you're working in Seattle, right?" He asked.

"Of course Jacob. You've got the home phone number, right? You can give that to Rebecca. It would be great to hear from her." I said sitting down at the breakfast bar to finish my tea.

The family made their way back down again, ready for work. Jacob got up from the table. "Goodbye, Bella. It was good to see you again. We'll have to catch up again soon. Goodbye, Edward." He said as he left the room. The family also said their goodbyes as they left.

I felt the tension lift from my shoulders as the house fell silent. I let out a deep sigh.

"Well that was fun." Edward said, smiling at me.

"Fun? What are you talking about? I've never had to deal with that kind of situation before in my life! No, it wasn't fun!" I said, shaking my head. I was just a little annoyed with him. _Why on earth would he think that was fun?_

"Sorry, Bella. I can't believe this hasn't happened to you before! You handled it very well. I'm proud of you." He said, getting up from the stool and standing in front of me. He put his hands on my shoulders giving them a gentle squeeze. Leaning forward he kissed the top of my head.

"Don't worry, Bella. I think Jacob got the message, loud and clear." He said kissing my forehead. "Do you need help with anything before I go to work? I don't have to be there for nearly two hours." He stood back a little, looking at me, waiting for an answer.

"Good. It's not raining and I need to get out of the house and get some fresh air. You can come with me to fetch some groceries. I'll just get the list." I said, getting up from the stool and reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.

I took off my apron, folded it and left it on the barstool. I grabbed the list from the diary and my jacket from the hall and made my way to the front door. _I am not in the_ _mood for small talk right now._ Edward followed quickly behind me, shutting the door on the way out.

When we reached the store, I handed Edward a basket and began filling it with various items. I chatted to the store owner as I sorted out the largest mushrooms in the tray.

"What are you cooking tonight?" Edwards asked, as he looked at the items in the basket.

"Stuffed mushrooms. I'll use up the left over bacon from breakfast with spinach and mozzarella. The main course will be meatballs, spaghetti and a fresh fruit salad for dessert. What do you think?" I asked.

"Delicious! Can you make that again some time when I'm home for dinner?" He asked.

"Of course! Come on I need to get to the butchers for the meat." I handed the basket to the store owner and he carefully bagged everything up for us. Edward carried the bags as we made our way to the butchers to buy the meat. With the shopping finished, we made our way back to the house.

Edward helped to unpack the bags and put some of the items away in the fridge. He made us both another cup of tea. I put my apron back on, crossing over the apron ties at the back. I felt Edward's hands take the ties from my fingers and bring them around the front of the apron, securing them around my waist. His hands rested on my stomach, holding me close to him. I could feel his eagerness for me building. I rested my head on his chest and shut my eyes, enjoying the flip-flop sensation in my stomach.

"Are you still okay for tomorrow night, Bella? There's no rush." He said quietly, burying his face in my hair and breathing deeply.

"There's no problem with tomorrow as far as I'm concerned. What time do you think you'll be home?" I asked, resting my hands on his. The heat radiating from his hands had warmed up my stomach causing the muscles to twitch. This sensation reached to my core. I sighed. _If he can do this to me by just touching me, I can't wait for everything else he's going to make me feel._

"I plan to be home by four. I've booked a table at a restaurant in Port Angeles. From there we won't have long to travel to the Forks house. We'll take my car. It's faster so we won't spend any longer than we need to on the road." He reached down and kissed my neck. I blushed at the sensation of his breath fanning across my neck.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but Jessica is going to be here soon. As much as I don't want to, I have to go soon." He said turning me around to face him. He put his finger under my chin, lifting my face to his and kissed me softly. "I love you, Bella." He said, kissing me again.

I opened my eyes slowly, taking in his scent, committing it to memory to get me through till tomorrow evening. I snaked my arms around his neck, pulling myself up on my toes, kissing him hard on the mouth, my tongue begging for entry. His lips parted and our tongues collided, tasting and probing each other. My arms dropped to my sides as I heard the front door open.

"Hi, Bella!" Jessica's voice called out from the hallway.

I stepped away from Edward giving him a small smile and turned to stand by the sink. Edward sat down on the barstool to recover, returning to his now cold cup of tea.

Jessica walked into the kitchen, stopping in her tracks when she saw Edward.

"Hi, Edward. How are you?" She asked cheerfully.

"Very well thank you, Jessica. How are things with you?" He asked politely.

"Very well thanks. Are you going to work today?" _For someone supposedly attached, she doesn't give up! _

"Yes, I'll have to go in a few minutes. Just finishing my tea." Edward answered, taking the last mouthful.

"So, Jessica, how are things going with James? Good?" I asked, distracting her gaze from Edward. He gave me a small nod and made a quick exit.

"James is wonderful, thanks. He's arranged a whole weekend away for us. Really, Bella I still can't believe that I met him." She gushed. "What have you got planned for this weekend?"

"I'll be spending some of the time with Rosalie and Alice talking about the Wedding cake and coming up with some ideas for the design." I answered.

"Sounds riveting! Right, I'd better get started and let you get busy with the cooking." She said leaving the kitchen to make her way upstairs.

I began to make the meat balls, covering them and putting them in the fridge to hold their shape. I prepared the spinach ready to cook later. I was finding it quite hard to focus. _Thank goodness tonight's menu is nice and easy. There'll be less chance of ruining it!_

I went over to the kitchen diary and noted down tonight's menu. I turned to the coffee pot and put it on knowing that Jessica would want to stop for lunch soon.

The front door opened. Charlie's voice called out. "Hi, Bella. It's just me. How are you?" He asked as he came into the kitchen.

"Fine thanks, Charlie. You're just in time for coffee and a sandwich if you want." I said, relieved to have someone other than Jessica to talk to.

"That would be lovely, Bella. I don't have to pick up Mrs Cullen for a couple of hours. A very high profile customer is looking to have improvements done to their home. Before I forget. Angela wants to know if there is anything you need in particular for the weekend. I think Angela has stocked up on everything. I think she's worrying unnecessarily." He said as he settled himself at the breakfast bar.

"I think you're right Charlie. I'm sure whatever there is in the fridge and freezer over there will be just fine. Tell her not to worry, okay?" I replied.

I began to make the sandwiches for the three of us. Charlie poured out the coffee.

Jessica joined us, gushing to Charlie about her new boyfriend. I happily sat back, not having to pay too much attention. I drifted off with my own thoughts for a while.

Charlie brought me out of my thoughts. "Bella! I said I understand that you're going to be involved with the organisation of the Wedding cake! You must be excited." He asked.

"Oh, yes, I am Charlie. It was very kind of Miss Hale to ask me. We're going to start working on ideas for it this weekend." I answered.

"I'm sure the end result with be perfect. Well, I had better get back to my duties. I have to get across the other side of town to collect Mrs Cullen. Both of you have a good weekend. I'll see you sometime next week ladies." He said as he left the kitchen.

"Bye, Charlie." We both said.

"Oh, look at the time! I'd better get a move one. I'm having my hair done at three, ready for the weekend." Jessica said jumping off the stool and making her way to the lounge. _That will be a story I'd rather not hear on Tuesday._

I gently cooked the spinach and set about preparing the mushrooms and filled them. Next I put the prepared meatballs in a pan and began to brown them gently and started to make the sauce. Once the sauce was ready I transferred the meatballs to a dish and poured the sauce over them and put the dish in the warm oven.

Jessica called out to me saying goodbye and wishing me a good weekend.

"You too, Jessica. See you next week." I answered politely.

Making the fresh dough for pasta was next on the list. I mixed the ingredients together and gently kneaded the dough. I began to stretch and twist it. Almost immediately the long piece of dough began to separate into strands. I repeated the process of folding and stretching until I had the right amount for the meal.

Esme and Carlisle were the first home today. Charlie had obviously done a round trip.

"How was your day, Bella?" Esme asked as she helped herself to a drink of fresh orange. Carlisle went upstairs to change.

"Fine, thanks. I had Jessica as company after Edward left for work. And Charlie stopped by for lunch. It was nice to see him again." I answered, putting the stuffed mushrooms in the oven. "How was your day?" I asked.

"Good. I managed to secure another job. It will take some time to finish the project. The whole house needs a makeover." She answered, her face lighting up as she spoke.

Carlisle returned to the kitchen. "Smells good, Bella. I take it everything is fine with you?" He sat on a barstool for a moment while Esme went upstairs.

"Yes, absolutely. You're all so kind to be so concerned." I answered, checking on the meatballs.

"That's because we care, Bella. About both of you. We can see how much you care about each other. We just want the two of you to be happy." He said giving me an encouraging smile.

"I really do appreciate it, Carlisle." I replied. I made my way to the dining table and began to lay it.

The house was soon busy with people. Everyone seemed to have a good day. Alice was getting more and more excited about her designs for the Fashion show and Jasper had not been overlooked, after all, to take charge of a new case that had recently been handed over to him. I set the pasta pan on to heat up the water.

Rosalie came into the kitchen as I was setting the starters on the tray. She stood for a moment watching me.

"You're not still worrying are you Rosalie?" I asked. _She is a difficult person to convince sometimes._

"No, I know how you feel about Edward. I can see it in your face when he's near you. I just don't trust Jacob. Men like that can be stubborn even if you are involved with someone else. We'll be seeing Jacob more often now that we're partners so to speak." She said in a soft and understanding tone.

"I think he got the message. I wasn't rude to him this morning but if he doesn't let it drop I will tell him straight that I'm with Edward. I really don't think it'll be a problem." I said reassuringly. Rosalie gave me a quick hug taking me by surprise.

I took the tray of starters to the table where the family had all taken their seats. "Will you join us now or for the next course, Bella?" Esme asked.

"I'll sit with you during the main course. I'm just going to cook the pasta." I replied.

I carefully let the pasta strands slip into the boiling water, turning down the heat slightly. I got the dishes ready to transfer the main course into them.

Alice cleared the table, setting the empty plates by the sink and returning to her seat. I transferred the meatballs and sauce to the warmed dish and took it to the table immediately. With the pasta cooked I strained it and poured a little olive oil over the strands, adding fresh basil and transferring it to the large bowl. I set it on the table and sat down.

We chatted happily and I shared the news that Jessica had a new boyfriend. They all agreed that this would mean that she might be a lot less interested in Edward. I smiled to myself knowing that she was another fairly determined person like Jacob.

Alice once again helped to take out the empty plates to the kitchen. "Can we have that chat, Bella? I really haven't heard about the weekend properly. If it's okay, I'll come up to your room later." She asked, her eyes twinkling with the anticipation of my answer.

"Yes, of course Alice. I doubt that I'll be able to get to sleep straight away anyhow!" I answered, smiling.

We hugged each other and I took the dessert out of the fridge. I chopped some mint leaves and sprinkled them over the fruit, emptied a carton of crème Frisch into a glass bowl and took the two bowls out to the table.

With the meal over I cleared the table as the family made their way into the lounge to relax. While the coffee pot worked its magic, I loaded the dishwasher, wiped down the countertops and swept the floor. Carlisle came into the kitchen to help with the tray. Once the tray was ready he took it out to the lounge for me. I let out a deep sigh. The day was finally over and that meant that I could have some time to process everything and go to bed with a clear head.

I wished everyone a goodnight and Alice followed me. We made ourselves comfortable on the couch. Alice looked at me eagerly.

"I know you're not going to give me all the details, Bella but what I want to know is how you feel about each other. He's told you that he loves you, hasn't he?" She beamed.

"Yep. But how did you know he felt that way?" I asked a little surprised at how confident she was.

"He's my brother, Bella. I know him very well. I can see it in his face and the way he's drawn to you. He is just so relaxed and happy around you. Apart from last night of course! He wasn't very relaxed about Jacob paying you all that attention. I bet that made him realise how important you are to him." She giggled a little at this point.

"I'm very much in love with him, Alice. I'm a little nervous about tomorrow. He's taking me out. Our first proper date. I don't even have anything special to wear. I really want everything to be just perfect." I said, hoping that Alice would give me the boost in confidence that I needed.

"Bella. First, pick out anything you want from my wardrobe. After everyone has gone in the morning I'll help you to choose. No! Better than that, you'll come with me to work and we'll pick something out for you from the shop! I'll get Charlie to drop you off after were done. I'll arrange for you to have your hair and nails done. I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer, Bella." She said in a chiding tone.

"Okay, Alice. I'll do whatever you say. Only one thing though, I'm not having my hair cut short. Edward likes it long." I insisted. She nodded.

"You're already beautiful, Bella. But when he sees you tomorrow evening he is going to be like putty in your hands. Now, don't get stressed out about anything tomorrow, that won't help your nerves and get a good night's sleep tonight. I won't keep you up any longer." She said, taking my hand and leading me to my bedroom.

"Go on now, get to bed. See you in the morning." She said, hugging me tightly. "I'm really going to enjoy having you as a sister, Bella. Sleep well." With that she disappeared downstairs.

I shut my bedroom door leaning against it for a moment, letting out a large sigh. I was actually looking forward to having some time to myself tomorrow. It would a great way to spend the day and help the time go just a little faster. I got changed and snuggled down in the bed, imagining that Edward was there too.

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note;** I hope you enjoyed that chapter. All I can say is that you will need to review because without your encouraging words and support it is going to be really difficult to write the crucial chapter 23. The more reviews I get the quicker I will write. Take care.


	23. Chapter 23

**Authors note; **Firstly, thank you for the reviews for the last chapter. I hope I replied to everyone, if I didn't, please accept my apologies and I promise to reply to the next lot of reviews and not miss anyone out. You are all very kind and very encouraging. So, here is chapter 23. What can I say… oh yes, I warn you it is a loooooooooooong chapter. I could easily have given you one half today and the next half tomorrow but I think that would have been a bit unfair. So you have the whole thing! It starts first thing in the morning. A lot happens during the day; I didn't want to miss any of it out. I think it's important. Sorry if you don't. (You can tell me if you need to in your review).

**Beta reader; **Many thanks NatalieRB for your critical eye.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday

I stood in the kitchen dazed and not quite sure how I had actually got downstairs. I seemed to be on automatic pilot. I remembered getting up but after that… My head didn't know whether it was coming or going. I was nervous and excited in one mixed up emotion.

I rubbed my temples trying to get my mind to focus_. Friday – 'use up everything left over' day. _I opened the fridge door and took out everything that needed to be cooked and set to work. With the coffee pot and the heat lamps on, I quickly got the table ready.

Back in the kitchen I turned my attention to cooking breakfast.

"Morning goddess!" Emmett's voice called from the stairs.

I jumped. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I was miles away. Emmett stood in the kitchen watching me.

"Are you okay, Bella? You seem a little distracted." He stood leaning against the doorway, a rare frown on his face.

"Sorry, Emmett. Good morning. I've got a lot on my mind today." I replied. _I really don't want to spend too much time talking, Emmett._

"Wouldn't have anything to do with Edward would it?" I cheeky smile came across his face.

"Very perceptive of you Emmett. We're going out tonight, officially." _Now, enough questions for now!_

"Wow, you are? Oh, Bella you'll be fine. I'm sure you'll have a great time. Edward does all that fancy stuff like dinner and wine and you know." He was smiling broadly now. _Yeah, very funny, Emmett._

"Yes, Emmett, I know." I handed him a plate of food, a little of everything. He winked and sat at the table.

As I placed the rest of the food under the heat lamps, the family began to file downstairs. Everyone greeted me warmly. Alice sensed that I was a little nervous.

I took the coffee pot to the table.

"Bella, please go and get some food and come sit with us." Alice said, motioning to the chair.

"But I…." I began to protest.

"Go, Bella. Food. Sit. Now."

There was no arguing with Alice. I felt like she would have to take charge of me today. I wasn't quite sure what I was doing right now.

I took my place at the table with some food on my plate.

"Is everything alright, Bella dear?" Esme asked

"Sure, she's just going out with Edward on their first official date." He said, wiggling his index fingers, acting out quotation marks at the word 'official'. Rosalie shot him an icy glare and smiled over to me.

I blushed. "Oh that is lovely, Bella. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time. Don't worry about a thing. Edward is always very organised about these things." Esme added.

"I'm taking Bella with me this morning to get an outfit arranged and a little pampering session is organised for today. Everything will be just perfect." Alice announced. The family nodded in approval. _I wish I had Alice's confidence right now. Somehow I need to find a way to relax. I'd be good for nothing later on otherwise._

I managed to eat what was on my plate. _All you have to do is keep it down. Don't let your nerves get the better of you, Bella._

Alice helped to clear the table with me and I loaded the dishwasher. I sat down at the breakfast bar and made myself an herbal tea. My mind wandered again as I sat there dunking the teabag in the hot water.

"Bella, don't worry about breakfast in the morning. We can deal with that for a change." Esme said, as the family were ready to leave.

"But mom!" Emmett began.

"No, Emmett. No 'buts'. We can all sort out breakfast ourselves in the morning. Have a lovely day dear. And don't worry about tonight. Just enjoy." She added and smiled at me.

A round of 'bye Bella' and 'bye Alice' rang out as they made their way out of the house.

"Right, I'm just going to get ready, Bella. You just sit and try to relax, okay?" Alice said as she made her way out of the kitchen.

"Relax, right. That's easy for you to say!" _Alice always so relaxed and confident. I need some of that._

I decided to have a shower. That was sure to help. I abandoned the half finished tea and went upstairs. I stripped off and tied my hair up out of the way, it was being washed later anyway. I stood in the shower and aimed the cascading water on my shoulders. The shower was soothing but every time I shut my eyes images of Edward's half naked body in my bed came crashing into my mind. _What if he doesn't like me naked? What if I don't do it right? I haven't got a clue where to begin. What if_ _he decides he's made a mistake?_ I felt my throat tighten. _No, you are not going to cry Bella Swan, this is not the time. When he said he loved you he was serious. It wasn't a joke. And you love him don't you. So what is there to worry about? What can go wrong? Let him lead, he's the experienced one._ A lump came to my throat this time. _What if he thinks he wished he had Tanya back? Stupid girl. Pull yourself together and get out of the shower and get downstairs!_

I followed my own advice and dried off and put fresh underwear, jeans and a t-shirt on I slipped on my black Chucks and quickly brushed my hair, leaving it down. I looked in the mirror. _You'll be okay, just go with the flow today Bella._ Grabbing my purse I carefully made my way downstairs.

Alice was ready, sitting at the breakfast bar. She was looking in the diary.

"It's Mother's Day in a week. I'd better confirm the table I booked a month ago. We'll need an extra seat at the table this year." She said, looking up at me.

"Really Alice. I'm sure Esme would just like to have her family with her that day." I retorted.

"Bella, get it into your head now! You are part of this family. You and Edward are a couple now. So, you will be coming with us. Okay?" She was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Okay, Alice. Thank you." I just gave in gracefully. _I need Alice on my side today. I need all the help I can get!_

"Let's go. We have a lot to get through today. I've booked a massage for you as well, before you have your hair done. And I'm taking you to lunch." _Little Miss Organised strikes again! Thank goodness!_

I looked at her and opened my mouth to speak.

"No, Bella not a word. You will do as you are told today. Don't worry about anything." _Thank you, thank you. I love you Alice!_

She took my arm and led me down to the car. Charlie opened the passenger door for us. He looked a little surprised, but didn't say anything.

"Charlie would you drop us off at the boutique first, please?" Alice asked. Charlie nodded. "There are couple of other places we need to go to today and when all of that is done I'd like you to bring Bella back to the house." Charlie nodded again.

The boutique was amazing. Fashion was not one of the things that really affected my life. The apron was my main accessory. We walked through the door to be greeted by two of Alice's employees.

"Terri can you get me a selection of dresses, not too fussy and put them on a rail near the changing room please. We'll try all the colours to start." Terri began to flit around the shop picking out dresses that met with Alice's instructions. Alice went over to the lingerie area and picked out a couple of sets of lacy underwear. I blushed slightly at the thought of Edward seeing me down to my underwear let alone anything less.

"Heidi, when you've finished that display can you sort out some shoes to match the dresses please. Oh, and some purses." Alice asked as she looked at the selection that Terri had begun to hang on the rail.

I looked at the array of colours being hung on the rail in front of Alice. She carefully sifted through them, looking up at me every so often. I was amazed at the concentration on Alice's face. This was serious business. She finally looked at a selection of about ten dresses on the right hand side of the rail.

"Terri, these can go back now, thank you. The rest, Bella, you will need to try on. Would you go and put the coffee on, Terri? I think we're going to be a little while." Alice gestured toward the changing room. "Now then Bella, time to choose."

I walked into the changing room with Alice and she shut the door. She placed the hangers of underwear on a hook. "We need to start with the basics, so let's see what you think about these." She held up the first set for me to try on. I quickly got out of my clothes and changed into the new underwear behind a bright pink screen.

I stepped out to stand in front of the full length mirror. The underwear looked wonderful and felt good too. I really liked the French knickers. "This is a perfect fit. The bra has straps that you can adapt to any dress. Ivory is a good safe colour for now but we'll see if it will do when we decide on the dress."

She handed me another set of underwear. I obediently changed into the next set. Alice observed the underwear on me. "Yep, that's good too. Turn around for me. Definitely good for when you wear trousers. No VPL with these." I wasn't quite sure what she meant, but Alice is the expert. "Keep this on and I'll get the rail in so you can start trying on the dresses."

Alice pulled the rail into the room followed by Terri with a tray of coffee. She set the tray down on a low table in the corner. "Thanks Terri." Alice said as Terri left the room.

Alice handed me a cream dress to start with. I liked it, but apparently the ruffles made me look frumpy. There was a knock at the door. Alice answered. It was Heidi with a stack of shoe boxes in her arms. "Can you put them over there, Heidi? Thank you." Heidi left the room to collect the purses and handed them to Alice.

Five dresses later and Alice was still not satisfied. I walked over to the coffee pot to pour out my second cup and took a quick mouthful. Alice held up the next dress for me. My eyes widened. It was a halter neck, purple silk, floaty thing on the hanger.

I carefully put it on and Alice did up the clasp at the back of my neck. I stood smiling at my reflection. The 'v' at the front wasn't too low and the material was gathered around at the bust to add some shape and definition. The underskirt was fairly straight and dark purple. It was the layers of purple silk chiffon sewn onto the underskirt that made the dress look so amazing. I turned to get a better look at the back. There was no back as such. It came down quite low. I frowned a little.

"It looks gorgeous on you, Bella." She said full of pride.

"But I won't be able to wear a bra with this!" I had never worn a backless dress before!

"No, you won't. But that's okay. There's plenty of support in the front. Slip the bra off and you'll see for yourself."

Alice undid the hooks of the bra for me and I slipped it off from under the dress. She was right. The dress had just enough support at the front to hold everything in place beautifully. I spun around in it to get a feel for it. It was amazing. I had never worn a dress like it before. Not even my Senior Prom dress was like this. Alice quickly turned her attention to the shoe boxes. She found a pair in black, with thin straps. I looked at them intently.

"They're too high for me Alice. I'll break an ankle or something!" _This was going too far!_

"Nonsense, put them on. Besides Edward will be there to take your arm. I doubt if he'll be able to take his hands off you all night." _Okay, so maybe I will wear them!_

I blushed crimson. I put the shoes on and Alice did the straps up for me. I stood feeling a little unsafe but decided that they really did make my legs look good. I walked around the room for a minute getting my balance right. Yes, they would be okay. _Besides we were only sitting down in a restaurant, not running a marathon!_

Alice handed me a black beaded purse to complete the outfit. "There that's it. Perfect!" She stood back to admire her creation. _The new Bella. A Bella good enough._

I smiled. Alice had done well.

"Right, next on the list is the massage. Get changed and I'll ring for Charlie to collect us." She pulled out her phone and pressed a number.

Ten minutes later we were in the car with the dress hanging in a bag, underwear, shoe box and purse in another. Terri and Heidi smiled and waved as we left. We arrived at the spa.

Alice nodded to an efficient looking lady behind the reception desk. We walked straight down a hallway flanked by doors. Alice opened the third door on the right, without any hesitation.

"Take all of your clothes off, Bella and wrap this around you. I'll go and see if Anna is ready for you." She said making her way out of the room.

Five minutes later Anna entered the room with Alice following. I was instructed to lay down on my front and put my face in the hole of the table. I did as I was told. I didn't have the will to argue anymore. Anna began to massage me very carefully as it was my first one. She used some lovely smelling oils. They certainly did something to help me relax. Alice sat quietly checking something or other on her Blackberry.

I had to turn over so that Anna could give me a gentle face and head massage. At the end of the session I felt like jelly. I couldn't be more relaxed if I tried. Alice and Anna left the room while I got dressed again. I met Alice back in reception. Charlie was waiting out front for us. _So this is the life of the rich and famous! I might just be able to get used to this._

Our next stop was the beauty salon. Alice instructed Pierre as to what was to be done with my hair. He set to work. After it was washed and conditioned and given a treatment, I sat in a chair away from the front window. Pierre trimmed my hair only cutting as much off as was necessary. He then set to work drying it until it was still a little damp. He then created curls. Masses of them. At first I thought I would look like Shirley Temple! But as the curls were softened out, I was left with a very sexy head of soft waves with a few soft curls framing my face. Everyone was happy with the result. _I just hope it doesn't rain today!_ Alice beckoned me over to another chair in front of a desk filled with everything for a manicure. Tracy set to work. She asked me a few questions as to what I did for a living. She nodded as she worked on my nails and applied serums and lotions and nail strengtheners and finally finished them with a French manicure. Nice and easy for me to cope with as I would be cooking at some stage over the weekend.

With all of that done, Charlie was outside again to collect us. This time his face beamed. "You look lovely, Bella if you don't mind me saying."

"Thank you Charlie." I replied. Charlie's compliment was genuine. It meant a lot to me.

We stopped off for lunch at a little restaurant that Alice didn't need to book and sat down in a quiet corner to have something light to eat.

"So, Bella. I think I've done everything I can. You look wonderful, even in jeans and a t-shirt. What about make-up? Would you like me to help you with that when you get back? I've got the rest of the day to myself so it's not a problem."

"Oh, Alice you've already done so much for me. I just don't know where to begin to thank you."

"You don't need to thank me Bella. If anyone needs to say 'thank you' it should be Edward. He is going to be envied by every single man where ever it is you're going tonight."

I blushed. I just couldn't imagine any other man other than Edward even looking at me. _I don't want any other men looking at me!_ "I would love it if you would help me with my make-up. It's not something I usually bother with. But this is a special occasion. Thank you Alice."

"No problem. Let's finish here and get going." Alice said, reaching for her phone to call Charlie.

Half an hour later we were back at the house. Charlie helped to carry the things in for us. He hung back a little watching Alice go upstairs with the dress.

"Bella, I take it this is a very special occasion. I wish you the very best for this evening. See you next week." He said, smiling as he made his way back to the car.

I picked up the other bags and made my way up to Alice and Jasper's room. Exactly what I had imagine it to be. Bold fuchsia, painted on one wall and white, with touches of gold everywhere else. A large four-poster bed, covered with a gold coloured comforter, dominated the room. A bank of gleaming white fitted cupboards stretched across the only free wall space. I took my shoes off and wiggled my toes in the thick, cream coloured carpet. It was so Alice.

Alice motioned for me to sit in a chair by the dressing table and set to work on my make-up. After my eyelashes were curled she decided to go for a dramatic look with large smoky eyes using a damson colour and grey and finished my eyes with a couple of layers of mascara. My eyes were definitely noticeable. My lips were enhanced with a gentle pink lip gloss. She hummed a little as she worked. I kept my face still, not wanting Alice to go wrong with anything. Twenty minutes later she stood back to look at her finished work.

She smiled. "Fantastic!" Alice quickly and carefully ran a comb through my hair and used a little hairspray to keep the curls around my face in check.

"We have half an hour before Edward gets back. I'll help you in your dress but then you are going to stay in this room until he's ready. I want him to get the full effect of you when you walk down the stairs. Okay?" I nodded. She knew exactly what she was doing and I was not going to be the person to argue with her.

While Alice went to get a drink of water for me, I slipped out of my jeans and t-shirt and put on the purple French knickers. I caught sight of the label. Stella McCartney. Oh my gosh! I'm going to wear designer underwear! They had better work! My nerves were trying to get the better of me again. I stepped into the dress to avoid messing up my hair and make-up. As I pulled it up my body it felt amazing against my skin. It was so soft and luxurious. Alice came back to the room and helped to do up the clasp at the back of the halter strap. She made sure that the underskirt was straight and began to untangle the silk chiffon layers of the dress.

"Hello, Bella?!" It was Edward. He was home. My heart began to pound in my chest. I felt myself flush just hearing his voice.

"She's upstairs in my room. You go and get yourself ready. Don't set foot in here, Edward. Do you hear me?" Alice bellowed at him as he made his way to his room down the hallway.

I heard him say 'Yes, ma'am.' As he passed Alice's door.

Only a short time later and a last minute dab of some expensive French perfume in all the right places, my shoes securely on and my purse in my hot little hand, I was ready. And so was Edward. Alice opened the door slightly and instructed him to go downstairs and wait with his eyes shut. She stood at the top of the stairs to make sure he did just that. He knew not to disobey his sister when she was on a mission.

Alice motioned for me to walk forward and stand at the top of the stairs. I looked down to see Edward, freshly showered, his sexy hair completely sexy. He was wearing a dark grey casual suit, with a crisp white shirt and purple tie. Alice must have rung him today! I breathed in deeply hoping he would not be disappointed when he opened his eyes.

Alice stood to one side a little so she could see Edward's face when he opened his eyes. "Edward?"

"Yes."

"You can open your eyes…..now!"

He did. He mouth opened slightly as if he was going to say something. I followed his eyes looking at me from the top of my head, lingering on my face, then slowly down to my feet. "I have never seen anyone so beautiful in all my life. You look amazing, Bella!"

I carefully walked down the stairs, holding on firmly to the hand rail. As I made my way down he began to smile. The smile got wider as I got to the bottom step. He moved forward and took my hand.

"And you're all mine." He said quietly.

"You look extremely handsome this evening. Is this a special occasion or something?" I said jokingly.

"This is the first of many special occasions, Bella. All of them will be starring you."

He said and kissed the back of my hand. "Let's go shall we? Thank you Alice, see you tomorrow." He said not taking his eyes away from my face.

"Thank you, Alice. You were great today." I said, also not able to take my eyes from his face.

He walked me out to his silver Volvo and held the passenger door open for me. He walked round to the driver's side and quickly brought the car to life. Once we were safely out of the city, he reached for my hand and held it for the journey to Port Angeles. He asked me lots of questions about my day, which I explained only really consisted of getting ready for him. He smiled the whole time. My nerves were ebbing away and I was much more relaxed. I asked about his day. It certainly was much more eventful than mine. He avoided talking about anything that was sad. That would have changed the tone of the evening dramatically.

We finally arrived at the restaurant. It was an Italian one. He parked the car and taking my arm we walked into the building. It was lovely and romantic inside with candles on the smartly set tables. We were ushered to a quiet secluded corner, away from the kitchen and prying eyes. Edward ordered out food and a glass of wine for me and water for himself.

He reached across the table for my hand and held it for almost the whole meal. He made me feel like the most important person in the world. My confidence was growing all the time. _I can do this no problem. He wants me and I know I want him_ _just as much._ Every so often he would stop what he was doing and just look at me. His eyes were becoming extremely dangerous. I almost cancelled the dessert but as we were going to share it I couldn't resist but take the initiative and feed him spoonfuls of Tiramisu. I watched as he licked at the spoon. He so knew what he was doing to me. _Two can play at that game, mister._ I put a spoonful of dessert to my lips, slowly parting them and letting out a small sigh across the table.

"Bella, you are going to be the death of me. Can you please hurry up and finish. We need to go. Now!"

"Okay." I ate the last mouthful as he left the table to pay the bill. I watched him as he walked across the room. He seemed a little tense. _We'll soon sort that out for him, Bella!_

He came back to the table and took my hand to lead me back to the car. The last part of the journey to the Forks house seemed to fly. The hall light was on when we arrived. He parked the car in the garage and walked around to help me out get out. We entered the house via the door in the garage. Edward took my hand again and led me to the music room. He seemed to relax a little as he sat me down in the comfy chair and made his way over to the piano stool.

He opened up the lid revealing the keys and began to play the piece that he had written for me. I listened carefully realising that he that he was adding to the composition. It sounded wonderful. I got up as he continued to play and sat next to him, watching his fingers caress the keys, until he finally stopped.

"You finished it. It's beautiful, Edward."

He turned to me and looked into my eyes. "Not as beautiful as you, Bella." He said, his breath fanning over my face. I turned toward him and reached my hand to his face, tracing a line down his cheek with my fingers, along his strong jaw until I came to his mouth. I traced along the outline of his lips. He shut his eyes at the sensation. I narrowed the gap between our mouths and kissed him gently. His hands were now resting on my hips, the warmth permeating the dress and heating up my flesh. I shuddered slightly causing a wave of goose bumps to travel up my torso. I kissed him again, tracing my tongue over his bottom lip. He opened his eyes only slightly showing a flash of dark green to me. He parted his lips and allowed my tongue to enter his sweet tasting mouth. Our tongues tasted each other moving together in their own warm embrace. His hands gripped my hips a little tighter. Our kiss deepened. I brought my hands up to his head, running my fingers through his hair. It felt so soft and inviting. I fisted his hair. He gripped me harder. And then he released me and pulled away from our embrace. I sat there wondering what had happened. He stood up and walked around the stool taking my hand and bringing me to my feet.

I knew exactly where he was taking me…upstairs. He led me along the first floor hallway to a door on the left. Opening the door, he reached for the light switch setting it on low. I stood surveying the room as he shut the door. The soft colours of creams and browns were everywhere. I glanced over to the bed. A deep chocolate brown comforter draped across it, inviting me to touch it.

My heart was thumping in my chest as I felt his arms snake around my waist, from behind me. He leaned down close to my ear and pulled my hair away from my neck. Small gentle kisses were lavished there, making my stomach flip-flop and the muscles contract. I shut my eyes to heighten the feelings, having them open was too distracting. My arousal was well and truly making itself known. His hands moved to the clasp at my neck. My breath hitched as his fingers touched my skin and released the collar of material there. He walked round to face me gently peeling the top of the dress down my chest. The sensations in my body were becoming over whelming. He kissed my chest with his soft open mouth. I felt his tongue lick my flesh as my breasts were released from their encasement. I rested my hands at the top of his trousers curling my fingers into the waistband. He let out a sigh that fanned over the top of my breasts and trailed his tongue over the tips of my nipples that were already erect. I shivered from the sensation, causing my core to throb for him.

His hands carefully finished releasing the dress from my body and it made a soft whooshing sound as it pooled at my ankles. He rested his hands on my hips caressing the hem of the silk knickers. I opened my eyes watching him as he looked down the length of my almost naked body.

"You are a goddess, Bella. You're my goddess." He said looking into my face again with his dangerous eyes. _I like this possessive side of him._

I gathered together some kind of coherent thoughts and reached up stroking his shoulder muscles. I began to undo his shirt button by button, slowly revealing his beautiful, well toned, naked flesh to me. I know I had seen him in just his swim shorts before now, but somehow this was much more erotic. It was like I was seeing his half naked body for the first time. I reached the last button. He leaned forward and kissed my lips as I slid the shirt from his body letting it drop to the floor behind him.

I let my fingers trail down his torso absorbing the sensation of his smooth flesh and strong muscles until I reached his waistband. His kiss became a little more urgent, his tongue entering my mouth again and vying for dominance. I quickly undid his belt and undid the top fastening of his trousers. _Where did all this confidence come from, Bella? Those dreams were pretty instructive!_ I don't even remember pulling down the zip. The kiss was clouding my mind. My hands automatically went to the waist band and pushed the trousers down, as if I had done this before. And I had many times, in my imagination and my dreams.

His hands, still resting on my hips were gripping a little harder now in anticipation. I pulled away from the kiss, my mouth still open, gasping for breath. I rested my hands at the hem of his boxers. I could feel the material tenting with the force of his eagerness throbbing. I stopped, carefully stepping out of the dress on the floor and backed away in the direction of the bed. He watched me keeping his eyes focused on mine. I felt the back of my knees come in contact with the soft comforter. _I have to get these shoes off!_

I sat down and slid up the bed with my hands, pushing me further up, finally resting on my elbows, my legs slightly bent at the knees. He stepped out of his trousers and quickly took off his shoes and socks. I smiled a little at the discarded clothing messing up his very tidy room. He moved forward toward the end of the bed taking the same route as I had. He began to crawl up the bed towards me. He stopped at my feet and without taking his eyes from mine, he deftly unbuckled the straps of the shoes and let them drop to the floor.

He continued to crawl up towards me, between my legs, looking at me from under his long dark lashes. I shut my eyes as his breath fanned over my body. I shivered and let my head fall back, my hair trailing down my back adding to the sensations coursing through my now very heated body. My core throbbed uncontrollably. I lay down on the bed as I felt his body finally touching mine, grazing over my breasts making them tingle.

His mouth crashed down onto mine, his tongue forcing entry this time. I ran my hands through his hair, fisting it. He reached down to the knickers pulling them to one side to touch my extremely wet folds. He moaned into my mouth. As we kissed he pushed down his boxers releasing his extremely hard and pulsating length, rubbing it against my thigh. His hand deftly pulled down my last piece of clothing. I hitched up one leg first and then the other as he removed the no longer needed piece of silk and banished it to the floor. They had done their job…very well. He pulled away from our kiss. I opened my eyes wondering where he gone. _At this point it felt like all of this was just another dream. A very good one at that!_

"You need to tell me if I'm hurting you, Bella. I don't want to hurt you." He whispered. I nodded not able to string any words together at this time. _No, this is not a dream!_

I felt him at my entrance, gently touching my folds. I bent my legs a little more widening my access for him. Gently, as he watched my face, he entered me. I felt how hard he was, how urgent and yet so controlled. His torso moved forward slightly at the same time as he reached further into me. I shut my eyes in order to fully absorb the wave of flushing across my skin. It hurt, only a little, but it was worth it. I wanted him and this was going to be part of it. He continued his journey stopping briefly, moving out and then moving back in again a little further. I let out a moan of slight discomfort and pleasure as my muscles tensed around him. I felt him throb in reply. Our bodies were conversing without needing words. I opened my eyes. He grinned. His eyes were filled with lust and the need to make me his. I had taken all of him. I felt jubilant. We were finally, utterly connected. He began to set a pace, causing my arousal to spill onto the comforter. His mouth was on mine again. I kissed him back with hunger, gripping onto his shoulders as he moved up and down my body. The pace picked up.

I found it hard to kiss him and breathe at the same time. My heart pounded so hard against my ribcage. I pulled away from his mouth panting and moaning as the sensations began to accumulate into one heavenly sensation. He buried his face in my neck panting against it and nipping at my flesh. He groaned into my neck sending the vibration of it through my chest. The sensation of his chest moving against my sensitive breasts and hard nipples made me contract around him even more.

He groaned again and panted, short sharp breaths. "I …can't… hold on… any longer. I…."

He let out a groan as I gasped and moaned taking me over the edge with him, slowing down his thrusts gradually, lifting his body slightly from mine so that I was able to take in air. I had almost forgotten about breathing. My head was spinning, my legs shaking, my core still pulsating around him. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, then my cheek, my chin, my neck and finally, gently on my mouth. He disconnected himself from me, shifting onto his back breathing deeply, his body completely spent.

I regained my breathing pattern again and turned onto my side, leaning against him, my arm rested on his stomach and my leg draped over his. We stayed like that for a while, before I began to shiver as I cooled down. He shifted from under me, pulling back the comforter and sheets.

"Here, get under the sheets before you get too cold." He said.

I smiled and wriggled under the bedding. He slid back into bed with me and we snuggled down together. He reached for the remote and turned the light off, securing the sheets around my shoulders and stroking my hair.

"Good night, Bella. I love you."

"I love you too." I mumbled as I drifted off to sleep.

End of Chapter

**Authors note; **Well, it's up to you now. Liked it, loved it or hated it? Review, please review. I shall take a little break now to get my head together for the next chapter. Take care.


	24. Chapter 24

**Authors note;** Thank you so much for the lovely reviews on the last chapter. I didn't get a single negative response. I had a couple of requests for Edward's POV so I thought that was enough for me to give it a go. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks NatalieRB for being so patient with me.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but it has inspired me to write this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

Edward's POV

As I woke up I realised that I had slept solidly for the first time in a long time. Sleeping at work was difficult, always interrupted, only ever a half sleep, nothing of quality. Last night… last night I slept undisturbed and woke up feeling completely refreshed.

I looked over to the other side of my bed. There she was… Bella, my goddess. She was still sleeping, lying on her back, her hair splayed out around her head. The sheets only barely covering her chest, moved in time with her breathing. She let out a small sight. _Is she waking up?_ Another sigh. Her head turned, facing away from me and then turned toward me. Her eyes open, she smiled at me and closed her eyes letting out a long, breathy sigh. She was just… beautiful.

I rolled onto my side and propped my head up on my hand. I reached out for a lock of her hair, tantalisingly close to her soft, smooth shoulder. I took the lock between my fingers and twirled it around. Looking into her eyes, I lost myself. Those dark chocolate pools had hypnotised me again.

My thoughts drifted to last night. I had never in all of my years dating, seen any woman look so fantastic. But then again, she wasn't like anyone I had dated. She had captivated me. Heart and soul.

_Alice had rung me in between 'treatments' to say that she would be having a massage. I imagined her stretched out on the table. Oils being rubbed into her ivory skin. All the tension being soothed out of her muscles. Umm. That might be something that I should do sometime. _

_Alice had also instructed me to wear a purple tie. Alice wanted everything to be just right. She controlled everything up until the point that Bella walked down those stairs. Then she was mine. The rest was up to me. I was so nervous. My stomach churned at the sight of her. I doubted for a moment that I even deserved her. But then I remembered Bella had said that we deserved each other. How could she be wrong? That doubt didn't last long. _

_We got the restaurant and I couldn't stop touching her. I held her hand for most of the time we ate. I found it hard to believe that we were finally open and honest about our relationship. She wasn't my secret anymore. My family adored her. She had won them over with her care and attention to detail. And she loved me._

_When we shared the Tiramisu I had reached the end of my tether. She used that spoon to full effect. My reaction was instant, right there in my trousers. I had to get out of the restaurant and calm down. The drive to Forks helped me to refocus. I was determined not to rush the night. I wanted to savour every moment I had with her. _

_Playing her lullaby was a great way to distract myself. And she showed me how much she enjoyed it. Umm, that kiss. And she initiated it! She initiated so much last night. If I didn't know better I say that she had already done those things before. But I knew she hadn't. I felt her shake ever so slightly as I slid that beautiful dress down her body. Somehow she gained a certain amount of confidence, unbuttoning my shirt and then my trousers. I think she may have taken herself by surprise. And to see her placing herself on my bed. If that wasn't an open invitation I don't know what was. She had me right where she wanted me. There was no backing out, no hesitation anymore. I could smell her arousal as I crawled up the bed to take off those very sexy shoes. Her breasts were heaving by this time. She was tantalisingly wet and extremely ready. I dispatched the last piece of clothing, as pretty as they were they had to go._

_As I entered her I felt her tense slightly. I had to take my time. I had promised I was going to do everything different this time. If I did hurt her, she didn't tell me. I had reached all the way inside her, a perfect fit. Her muscles were working over time helping me set the pace and moving with me. I thought I'd last longer but it had been a long time for me. Sorting out my own needs until recently did not compare to the sensation of being inside Bella. It was too much for me. She was so good. When she moaned that was it. I couldn't hold on any longer._

_As I came I felt her orgasm. I had caused that. I had made her mine. The intensity of our lovemaking left me completely sated. She never looked so wonderful lying next to me. I made sure that I covered us up to go to sleep. Talking was not a requirement right now. Just blissful sleep._

I smelt the faint aroma of coffee drifting up from the kitchen. Someone was up seeing to breakfast no doubt. I looked over to the clock. It was almost ten. Bella would be having a get together with Alice, Esme and Rosalie. The Wedding cake.

I reached over and kissed her nose. "I'll go and bring some coffee up for us."

I quickly threw on some sweats and a t-shirt, raked my fingers through my hair and left the room.

Mom was in the kitchen putting together some scrambled eggs. "Good morning, Edward. I take it last night went well?" She smiled knowingly.

I blushed slightly. "Yep, perfect. I'm just going to take coffee up. I'll see you shortly." I carried the cups of liquid revival, back to my room. Bella was sitting up in bed looking around the room. I handed her a cup and set mine down on the chest of drawers. Before getting back into bed I quickly picked up the clothing on the floor and placed them on the chair. I stripped off and took my coffee over to my bedside table and snuggled back into so close to Bella my reaction was immediate.

I kissed her shoulder. I could feel the goose bumps on her skin. My lips tingled and her scent filled my head. She rolled onto her side. Her breath smelt of coffee as it fanned over my face. Her eyelids fluttered. Her chest flushed. I cupped her face and softly kissed her lips. She draped her leg over my hip pulling me closer towards her.

_Oh, yeah, she knew what she was doing. This was confident Bella._

The kiss deepened and in one swift movement I was on my back and being straddled by this gorgeous creature. She was in control now. I was leaving it entirely up to her.

She lifted herself away from the kiss pushing herself upright, her hands on my chest. They rested there, heating up my flesh. I took in her beauty. Her breasts were full and flushed. As I stroked her nipples with my palms, they reacted immediately. She shut her eyes at the sensation, her arousal dripping on my flesh just below my navel. I could feel myself tapping at her lower back. She grinned at me and licked her lips seductively. As I grinned at her she shut her eyes and raised herself by her knees leaning on my chest and placed her wet entrance over my tip. She bit her bottom lip as she began to sit down over my hips. Her thighs clenched as I reached the top. She let out a hiss and groaned letting her head drop back slightly, her hair tickling the top of my thighs. I brought my hands down from the now very warm and soft mounds, to her hips and held them gently. She fell forward hitting her hands on the bed either side of my chest. She opened her eyes momentarily, they were full of lust and desire.

She began to move her body backwards and forwards, slowly and purposefully. Gaining pace I felt her muscles expand and contract over and over again. By this time I was hypnotised by the sway of her breasts. I reached up to them and captured on of the nipples in my mouth. Sucking it and moving my tongue around it she moaned and flushed again. Her orgasm was imminent, the intensity of her throbbing core making my mind blur.

"Oh, Edward! Edward! Please!"

Her pleading was enough. I released her nipple from my mouth and gripped her hips, controlling the speed. I just needed a moment longer.

"Now, Bella! Now!" I groaned. Her breath hitched as I spilled into her.

Her arms gave way and she rested on my torso, her ear over my heart. "That was… amazing, Edward." She breathed out. I stroked her hair, pulling up the comforter around her.

As much as I didn't want to, I would have to let her go soon.

"You'd better get into the shower. Rosalie will not be too embarrassed to come up and get you. You have to do some Wedding cake stuff today."

"Uh huh."

"Are you okay?"

"Uh huh."

"Great."

"Uh huh."

There was a knock at the door. "It's Alice. I got some clothes for you, Bella. We meet in half an hour. I'll leave them outside the door for you." Bella didn't answer.

"Thanks sis. She'll be down soon." I said, and smiled into Bella's hair, taking in her scent before she got into the shower.

Bella shifted slightly, disconnecting herself from me and rolled over onto her back. She lay there for a moment and then threw the covers from her body, getting out of bed immediately and headed to the bathroom. I smiled. _She has one cute backside! _

I lay there listening to the running water of the shower, imagining her in there washing her body. _All that lather and… Behave yourself. There's plenty of time for that later. You've got the whole weekend together._ I smiled again feeling very confident that Bella wouldn't be spending too much time in the kitchen this weekend.

The bathroom was silent now. She came out, a towel wrapped around her body, her hair wrapped up in another. She walked toward the bedroom door and retrieved her clothes from the hallway. I watched as she dried herself off and pulled her clothes on. Everything she did, even just getting dressed, was interesting to me. Watching her sleep, eat, talk, walk, getting dressed and making love. I could never tire of her.

"What are you looking at Edward Cullen?" She stood there with her hands on her hips. If she was trying to look annoyed it didn't work. She just looked hot. I grinned at her.

"Before you get any bright ideas, I'm going downstairs for this meeting." She set about rubbing the towel around her head to get her hair a little drier. She looked around the room, for a brush or something.

"There's a comb on the chest of drawers." I nodded toward the chest.

She walked over and began to untangle her hair. I watched as she made light work of the task. A few minutes later her long tresses were under control, longer wet than they were dry and reaching passed her waist. She was an absolute vision.

She looked over to me and smiled, taking three steps towards the bed, she reached down and kissed my mouth, hesitating for a moment. _Tease._

"You'd better get in the shower. Aren't you supposed to be going out somewhere with the men today?" She said walking towards the door. "I'll see you later." Then she was gone.

I let out a long sigh. Today was going to be a long day. I came up with a plan. _We're ordering food in tonight. That'll be the only way to keep her from the kitchen._

I got up and made my way to the shower. _The sooner I'm ready and out of here, the_ _sooner we'll be back._ I was missing her already. My arms longed to hold her again.

Five minutes later I was ready and headed downstairs. Emmett met me at the bottom of the stairs to head me off from going into the breakfast room where the women had gathered. I could hear them talking and giggling.

"Come on bro. You don't want to go in there. It's a no go zone for the men. Mom made that clear. Let's go. Dad and Jasper are waiting in the car." His firm grip on my shoulder deterred me from doing anything other that what he instructed. We made our way out of the house and got into dad's car.

"We'll be back in a few hours, Edward. Don't worry. She'll be here waiting for you no doubt." Dad said, smiling at me through the rear-view mirror. I smiled back at him nodding. Jasper and Emmett laughed, shaking their heads. _Yep, this was going to be a long few hours._

End of Chapter

**Authors note; **This chapter has actually helped me to work out what is going to happen next. Don't be surprised if a familiar face turns up sometime soon. Please review, good or bad. Take care.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's note;** Many thanks for all the reviews for the previous chapter. You were very positive about it and judging by the number of hits it got, it was one of my better chapters. Or was it just that Edward was having a good time?! So here we are with the family at the weekend, having fun as they do. Enjoy.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

As I walked downstairs I heard the rest of the family's voices coming from the kitchen. I hesitated for just a moment, willing myself not to blush. This was completely alien to me. The overwhelming feeling of having just done something so private and intimate and then within minutes returning to everyday normal life as if nothing had happened, seemed weird. All the women I knew had gone through this. Why would I be any different?

I shook my head slightly and took a deep breath, turning the corner into the kitchen.

"Hey, Bella? Good morning!" Alice, greeted me, with her arms open wide. We walked towards each other. I kept my eyes fixed on hers and closed the gap. We hugged. _She has some grip for someone so small and delicate looking._ Her hug was one of encouragement and final confirmation of acceptance into the family fold. She released me and grabbing my hand, led me to the breakfast room.

"Good morning, Bella dear." Esme said as I sat across the table from her. She smiled happily at me.

"Good morning, Esme." I replied, giving her a timid smile. I fixed my eyes now on my hands resting in my lap.

Rosalie brought in the tray laden with cups, coffee pot and Danish pastries. Someone had their thinking cap on this morning.

"How was the date, Bella?" Rosalie asked as she set down the tray and poured the coffee into the cups. _Wow, I need one of those! _From the corner of my eye I noticed the men look at each other at Rosalie's question. A silent decision made, they exited the kitchen.

"I had a lovely time." I replied quietly. I was finding it hard to be a little more descriptive. Words did not usually fail me.

"Where did Edward take you dear?" Esme asked, tilting her head to one side at me in anticipation of my answer.

"The Italian restaurant in Port Angeles." I answered quietly.

"Port Angeles?!" Rosalie exclaimed. She looked over to Alice with a look of horror. Alice's face remained unchanged.

I simply nodded and focused my attention on the cup in my hand. She made it sound like Edward had taken me somewhere cheap and nasty. _This is now my favourite place to eat!_

"Very sensible!" Esme announced. I was a little surprised at her statement. "Seattle would have been too public and open for a first date. Port Angeles is perfect for not allowing prying eyes to draw attention. There's plenty of time for flashy places in Seattle." She added. Esme looked at Rosalie and I noticed she gave her slight shake of the head.

Rosalie merely shrugged at Esme's comment. She had backed down. Of course, Rosalie would have had her first date with Emmett in the full glare of the social headlights of the Seattle elite. I smiled over at Esme knowing that she knew her son well and how much he wanted to keep me to himself before the inevitable introduction to friends and work colleagues. We needed to concentrate on each other for a while before I had to worry about the social networking of Seattle.

"Well, decisions need to be made before the men get home in a few hours." Alice said, bringing us back to the reason for the meeting. We turned our attention to her and watched as she picked up a pen and began to write on a piece of A4 paper.

Two cups of coffee and with all the pastries devoured, decisions were made. It was to be a traditional cake, five tiers, considering the amount of guests attending. Rosalie couldn't make up her mind about the finishing touches. It would either be roses or a mixture of wild flowers. There was still time to decide on that. Alice would make calls on Monday to organise the bakery that would make the tiers and the decorating would be my department.

I sat for a moment digesting the realisation of the responsibility for decorating it.

"What's up, Bella?" Alice asked as she cleared away the cups and plates.

"Just thinking, what a big responsibility the cake is. I just need to get my head around it." I answered giving her a weak smile.

"You'll be fine Bella. Rosalie wouldn't have asked you to do it if she thought you couldn't." I was heart warmed with Alice's vote of confidence.

"I know." I answered. I stared blankly out of the French doors.

"Is everything else okay, Bella?" Alice asked, standing still for a moment to wait for me to answer.

"Huh! Oh, yes. Just fine. I'll give back that gorgeous dress when I get it cleaned." _Where on earth did that sudden thought come from?_

"What are you talking about?! All of the things I gave you yesterday are yours to keep. Consider that the beginning of a new wardrobe Bella. Trust me you're going to be a Cullen sometime in the near future. You want to look the part don't you?" She stated smiling and walked towards the kitchen.

I blushed furiously. _What was she talking about?! We've only just had our first date._ _Oh, of course. None of my other first dates, such as they were, had ever ended in such a spectacular way but it was still only our first date._

"Everything will be just fine, Bella." Esme said, interrupting my thoughts. "I think Alice is right though. She has never been wrong about these things before. If Alice says it's going to happen then it will." Esme added. She sounded very confident. _Who am I to argue?_

"So, ladies what do you want to do now?" Rosalie asked from the kitchen area.

"Well, girls. I have some work to catch up on in the office. Why don't you make use of the Jacuzzi or the sauna or both, while the men are out?" Esme suggested.

"Hey, that'll be a great idea. Come on Bella. I'll get the sauna set up and you go and get your swimming costume and meet us by the pool." Rosalie instructed me. She dashed out of the kitchen as soon as she finished talking not waiting for an answer.

I decided that it would be a good idea. _Girl time together would be just great right now. _

I stopped at Edward's room and retrieved all of my clothing from the night before and made my way up to my rooms. I put the dress and shoes away and took out my bikini, tied my hair up and made my way to the pool.

Alice and Rosalie were already there getting out of their clothes and wrapping towels around themselves ready for the sauna. I followed them in, a few minutes later. The sensation of heat in the sauna room was amazing. Rosalie patted the empty space on the bench beside her. I sat down and leant back on the bench behind me letting the warmth wash over me. I shut my eyes.

"So, Bella what was he like?" Rosalie asked. I could hear the grin in her voice.

"What do you mean?!" My eyes shot open and I turned my head towards her.

"Rose, don't embarrass poor Bella." Alice chided her. She reached out to me and touched my arm to comfort me.

"Well I was only asking. I just thought, with Edward being the quite one of the family. I was just curious if the saying is true about the quite ones always…" She trailed off noticing my look of shock.

"Sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to offend you." She said with a sincere, apologetic look.

"No, no it's okay." I quickly recovered from her probing question. "It's not something I've ever talked about with any of my previous girlfriends. We were all very young and innocent then. Let's just say that he was…. Mind blowing!" I replied with a large smile on my face.

"Wow, Bella! Good. I wouldn't expect anything else from a man with the surname Cullen!" We all began to giggle like teenagers.

"Or Whitlock!" Alice added.

The giggling turned into laughter. I felt a lot more comfortable now. My confidence was resurfacing.

"When's your birthday, Bella?" Alice asked out of the blue.

"Not for some months yet. In September. Why do you ask?" I wasn't sure where this question was heading.

"Oh, nothing. I just get the feeling that you might be getting something pretty major for your birthday. That's all." Alice looked a little glassy eyed, starring at her red painted toes.

I looked over to her with wide, questioning eyes.

"Oh, I'm not sure what it might be but I can say it will be big!" She seemed to be absolutely sure of what she was saying.

"We shall wait and see." I said, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

"It's Edward's birthday next month, Bella. If you need any help or ideas for that, just ask." Alice said cheerily.

"Right. Well, thanks for that. I had better start thinking about it now, before I run out of time. But what do you get a man who has more or less everything?" I looked over at Rosalie who was lost in thought and then over to Alice. She was just sitting there grinning.

"Umm. Well, you could always wrap yourself up in one large blue bow. I did that for Emmett one year and he walked around with a smile on his face for days after that." Rosalie finally suggested. A large smile played on her lips.

We all started to giggle again.

"I'm not too sure about that, Rosalie, but thanks for the advice anyway." I just couldn't imagine myself being that sure of myself!

"You know, the best present that Jasper has ever given me?" Alice said in a far away voice.

"No, what?" Rosalie and I asked at the same time.

"Well, apart from marrying me that is." Alice added.

"That goes without saying." Rosalie interjected.

"What is it, Alice?" I asked, eager to know what was inducing this far away look on her face.

"A baby." She answered a little sheepishly.

"But you don't have a ba….." Rosalie stopped mid sentence. She looked over to Alice her mouth hanging open in shock.

I got up from the bench and sat next to her and hugged her. "Congratulations, Alice. How wonderful!" I kissed her cheek. Rosalie got up, still looking a little shocked and bent down to hug and kiss Alice.

"Thank you. It just felt like the right time to tell you two. I told mom and dad earlier this morning." She said hugging both of us.

"When did you have it confirmed?" I asked impatiently.

"Yesterday. I rang the doctor's office while you were having your hair done, Bella." Alice answered. "I'm still trying to take it all in." She added. "I've got an appointment with my doctor next week. Depending on the dates there will be a new addition to this family by the beginning of the New Year."

We sat for a moment looking at each other. All three of us had tears in our eyes by this time.

"At first I thought it might have been something I ate." She said giving a small chuckle and looking at my stunned face.

"But then the sick feeling wouldn't go away," Alice added. "So I guessed it must be something more than just an upset stomach. I'm going to be a mom!"

"And a very successful one! You're going to have to share the work load a little more, Alice. Is there anything I can do to help you?" I asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about that. It would be great if you could help with the Wedding Planning business now that's underway. You're very organised and know all about food of course, so it would be great if you would help with that, Bella."

I nodded. I would be only too happy to do this.

"And Rosie you can help with my dress designs. I know you're very busy with the garage but looking over designs in the evening wouldn't be asking too much would it? I have to concentrate on putting my collection together for New York in the fall. There's going to be so much organising to do." She looked at Rosalie with a large smile.

"No problem, Alice. Anytime. I would love to do that for you." Rosalie's face lit up at the idea.

"So let's get into that Jacuzzi. I can hear it calling my name." Rosalie added.

We put on our bikinis, having a quick shower and then stepped into the warm water of the Jacuzzi. Rosalie set the jets to a gentle flow. We made ourselves comfortable and sat in an easy silence allowing the bubbles to do their magic.

After a little while the peace was broken by Emmett's voice booming in the hallway.

"Thanks mom. See you later dad." He opened the door to the pool room. "Ah, here they are. I see the meeting is going very well, ladies." He said with a broad grin across his face.

"You're back early, aren't you?" Rosalie commented. I watched as Edward walked into the room following Jasper. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I had missed him so much. He looked over to me and I blushed. He gave me one of his knee weakening grins making his way over to the Jacuzzi. He came over to where I was sitting and bent over to kiss me on my mouth. I breathed in his scent and immediately felt relaxed and happy. Nothing else had the same effect.

"Edward was getting a bit anxious about being away from Bella for too long, so we came back." Emmett laughed and patted Edward on the back. "Poor Edward, he's got it bad!"

"Oh, Emmett, leave him alone." Rosalie chided him. "Can you go and get us something to drink, some water would be great." Rosalie asked Emmett putting on her best pleading face.

Emmett left the room immediately and returned a few minutes later with three bottles of water. "Thank you Emmett." We said in unison in our best girlie voices.

"Bella? What's for lunch?" Emmett asked as he patted his stomach.

"Is that all you ever think about Emmett?" I asked. A broad grin came to his face as he looked over at Rosalie watching her take a mouthful of water from her bottle. "Okay, Emmett. So there are two things you think about more than anything else!" I added.

He let out a long sigh. "What can I say? I got it bad too."

"I think it would be a good idea if the men cooked the lunch today. I'm sure Alice must be getting hungry." Jasper finally said. He had been very quiet since they arrived back. He stood looking over at Alice lovingly.

Edward looked over at Jasper and a small smile came to his face. "Alice is there something you would like to share with us?"

Alice beamed at him. "Yes, there is Edward. Jasper and I are going to have a baby by the New Year! Can you believe it? I'm going to be a mom!"

Edward promptly got up and moved over to where Alice was sitting and gave her a hug. He kissed the top of her head. "I think that is wonderful news. Hey, Emmett, we're going to be Uncles."

"Wow. A baby in the house! Hey, Jasper. Congrats." Emmett reached out to Jasper and shook him by the hand and slapped him on the back, maybe a little too hard. Jasper winced at the force of the slap but soon recovered.

"Thanks Emmett. It'll be your turn soon enough." He said. Emmett's reaction made us laugh. His naturally happy face had never looked so worried.

"Come on Emmett, let's get to the kitchen and take your mind off that subject for now." Edward said, gesturing toward the door. Jasper blew Alice a kiss and quickly followed Edward to the kitchen.

Rosalie hauled herself out of the Jacuzzi and went over to a cupboard and took out three towels and three robes. "Here you go. Let's get dried off and get over to the kitchen. I want to check out Emmett's skills in the kitchen." She handed us a towel each and laid out the robes on a chair. We dried off and wrapped up in the robes to keep warm. Alice turned off the Jacuzzi. The room fell silent as we made our way to watch the men cook. _This will be very interesting._

The men had already made headway with the food by the time we sat down at the table. Jasper was setting out cutlery on the table and organising drinks. He then went to let Esme and Carlisle know that lunch would soon be ready. Edward and Emmett made light work of their specialty, Spanish omelettes and they also put together a plate of fruit. As the final omelettes were made and brought to the table, the family sat down together to eat. As Edward sat down he pushed his chair closer to me resting his hand on my thigh. My whole body warmed at the sensation of his touch. The conversation flowed easily around the table. The main topic of course, was the baby.

Esme and Carlisle looked like the proudest parents in the world. Their children had given them so much to celebrate.

"Mom, I think it would a great idea if we had food delivered tonight." Edward began. "It can be Alice's choice. I'd like to keep Bella out of the kitchen just a little while longer. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not, Edward. I think that's a great idea. What would you like to eat later, Alice?" Esme asked.

"I would really love to have some Chinese." Alice answered eagerly. Emmett nodded his approval.

With lunch over, Edward and Emmett dutifully cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. Jasper looked at Alice.

"You look tired, honey. I'll take you up so you can have a nap. That'll do you both good. Come on." He took her hand and led her upstairs.

"Jasper is going to make a wonderful father." Esme said wistfully as Carlisle kissed her forehead.

It seemed like Valentines Day had made a sudden early appearance as the couples walked off to spend time together. Edward took my hand and led me to the music room door. "I'd like to play for you, Bella." He said as he opened the door.

"I'll go and get changed first. Be back in no time, okay?" I kissed his cheek and went upstairs to change. I could hear the soft notes of Edward playing my lullaby. It made me smile to know that I had inspired him to compose again after such a long time.

I joined him in the music room once I was dressed and curled up on the comfy chair to listen to him play. Feeling so comfortable and watching Edward play the piano, my eyelids grew heavy with sleep and I felt myself drift off into a heavenly place.

When my eyelids eventually fluttered open, I quickly realised that I was still curled up in the comfy chair in the music room. The room was silent. I looked around and saw Edward sitting in the chair adjacent to me. I gave him a small smile. He smiled back and gestured to a cup of tea waiting for me on the small table. It had only recently been made for me. I could see the steam rising from the cup.

I sat up a little more upright and reached out for the cup. "Thanks for this." I took a sip and sighed in appreciation.

I looked over to Edward who was still smiling at me. "I didn't talk in my sleep again did I?" I was beginning to wonder what on earth I could have said to put a smile like that on his face.

"Oh, don't worry. You didn't say anything too embarrassing." He replied. _From the look on your face I obviously had._ I rolled my eyes at him and took another sip of the hot tea.

Edward glanced at his watch. "I'd better get this Chinese dinner organised before it gets too late. What do you think, Bella shall I just order one of everything?" He said, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, not one of every single thing on the menu. Just stick with the basics and a few favourites. That'll be best." I replied.

"Of course, you're right. Do you have any preferences, Bella?" He asked, getting up from the chair and heading to the door.

I stood up immediately, not wanting to be too far away from him, following him out of the room to the kitchen. "I love Singapore rice noodles!" I answered, my mouth watering at the thought of them.

He nodded and reached for the Chinese menu from one of the kitchen drawers. _The emergency drawer no doubt!_

He quickly scanned the menu and reached for the house phone and dialled. Five minutes later having finally confirmed the order and address he put the phone down. _Oh yes, he had done this before. Many times! _I smiled at him and he pulled me into his arms nuzzling my neck. A warm rush enveloped me again making my stomach twitch. I smiled as I remembered another time that he made me feel this way in a kitchen. The kitchen at the city house, to be precise. It seemed a lifetime ago that he had first made me feel this way. It was as if we'd always been together. I turned my face towards him and kissed his temple, his hair tickling my face. _Umm, he smells wonderful._

Rosalie broke me out of my trance like state. "Break it up kids. You'll embarrass Carlisle and Esme" She said mockingly, pouring herself a glass of orange from the fridge.

Edward pulled out of our embrace and we both huffed at the same time. The three of us set about organising the table ready for the Chinese feast. I put a stack of plates into the plate warmer and began to unload the dishwasher and put the items away ready for the machine to be filled again later.

By this time the whole family had gathered, some in the kitchen helping themselves to drinks and others sitting at the table in anticipation. Alice looked almost as eager as Emmett at the thought of food. I smiled to myself. _Wow, there'll be another hungry mouth to feed in the New Year._ My heart was swelling with love for my new family and the thought that this was truly my new home. I will have to ring mom and dad and tell them this weekend. Whether they approved or not, I was deliriously happy and I wouldn't be able to not tell them before I visited them next.

The doorbell rang and Edward sprinted to answer it. I made sure the counter top was clear and ready to organise the food. He finally arrived in the kitchen his arms laden with bags.

We put the boxes on the large tray and Edward took it into the breakfast room, setting it in the middle of the table. The aroma of the meal was wonderful. Putting oven gloves on, I took the stack of warmed plates out to the table and set the plates out in front of each person. They began to help themselves as Edward and I took our seats.

All of us had a little of everything from the banquet. To finish the meal Alice requested ice cream. It was ice cream for everyone. Just as Rosalie had taken the last mouthful of her dessert, her phone rang. She took the phone from her pocket, as she answered it she moved out of the breakfast room into the kitchen.

Rosalie returned to the table and let out a frustrated sigh. "What's up baby?" Emmett asked. He put his hand on her arm and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Jacob can't sign the papers Monday morning. Some family stuff he's got to see too. So he's coming over tomorrow morning." She said sighing again.

I notice Edward's head snap up and look at Rosalie. His eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry about it baby. He won't be here long. You'll have the rest of the day to spend with me." Emmett said, trying hard to placate her. I willed the silence that had fallen over the room to go away.

"Right, how about we get cleared up in here and go and have a game of pool." Jasper announced. I knew he was trying to divert Edward's attention. "I want to see how good Bella is after Emmett got hustled last time." He stood up from the table and began to stack empty bowls.

It worked. I let out a small sigh. We began to tidy the table and load the dishwasher. I gave the counter tops a quick wipe down and everything was done. We made our way to the games room and got into our pairs. Esme and Carlisle decided that they could not miss out on the opportunity to see Emmett lose.

Edward's mood seemed a lot lighter. He kissed my forehead and whispered to me. "Just work your magic, Bella. We can't lose." The pressure was on.

The game began. Emmett looked at me and said, "Well, Bella, let's see if you can repeat your winning streak. I think you were just lucky last time." He smirked. _If he thinks he's going to put me off by goading me, he's got another thing coming._

As the game continued Emmett's face became more and more perplexed. He had thought I would not be able to play well under pressure. _Sorry, Emmett it doesn't work like that with me!_

Well to say that we won 'hands down' was an understatement. Edward and I annihilated everyone. Edward hugged me and lavished kisses all over my face at our victory. I received a round of applause from Esme, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper. Rosalie smiled at me, not wanting to congratulate me too much in front of Emmett. Emmett just scowled and huffed.

"Would you like Bella to give you a couple of lessons, Emmett? I'm sure she wouldn't mind!" Edward said, taking his life in his hands, considering the look that Emmett gave him. I jokingly stood in front of Edward, with my arms behind me, wrapped around his waist, to offer him protection. We all found this highly amusing and broke out in fits of laughter.

"Would you like to play the Xbox next, Emmett?" Edward said, still firmly in my grasp. _Now you're pushing it!_

"That's enough Edward." I said trying to sound annoyed. I failed miserably and burst out laughing again.

"You tell him, Bella." Emmett said, folding his arms over his chest and puffing his chest out making himself look even larger than usual.

"Okay, children. Does anyone want a drink before we turn out the lights for the night?" Esme interjected, before any more challenges could be set.

"I think we should share a bottle of wine to mark the end of a very eventful day. And a fruit juice for the mother-to-be." Carlisle said and made his way to the wine store. The family made their way to the lounge and sat while Carlisle organised the drinks.

Some time later and having finished two bottles of wine between us and fruit juice for Alice, everyone said 'goodnight' to each other and made their way upstairs. I quickly cleared the coffee table in the lounge before Esme would notice and set the dishwasher on.

Edward came to look for me. He smiled and took my hand.

"Come on, my love. Time for bed." He said, kissing the back of my hand gently.

He led me to his room. We undressed and I climbed into the bed closely followed by him. He pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me.

"Umm. Goodnight, Bella. I love you." He kissed my forehead and relaxed completely.

"Goodnight, Edward. Love you too." I replied. We both drifted off to sleep in our warm embrace.

End of Chapter

Author's note; Please review and let me know how you felt about this chapter. There is more to come! Take care.


	26. Chapter 26

Authors note; Many thanks to all of you who read the last chapter and told me how much they enjoyed it in their reviews. I hope you like this next chapter just as much.

Beta reader; Many thanks NatalieRB for your help and encouragement with some of this chapter.

Disclaimer; I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday

Edward's alarm woke me at 8.00. I had insisted that he set it as I had already had one day off and felt uncomfortable not doing what I was employed to do. He didn't argue. Wise decision. Edward opened one eye as I got out of bed. He huffed and rolled over. I quickly put on his robe and gathered my clothes up and made my way up to my room. With one green orb open again, he watched me as I left his room. I hesitated at the door and blew him a kiss. He smiled a sleepy smile and shut his eye again. _I'll have to be better organised and leave some clothing in his room to make this seem less like a criminal offence! _Thank goodness no-one was up yet. Emmett would have had a field day. He would enjoy the simple fact that he could get his own back by teasing me for the rest of the day.

I got dressed quickly, tied my hair up and secured an apron around my waist. I made my way downstairs and into my now second favourite place to be, the kitchen. That had now been superseded by Edward's arms. As I unloaded the dishwasher and quietly put things away, I made myself an herbal tea and toast. Once that was ready I sat at the breakfast table and ate my toast and drank the tea, looking out of the French doors onto the garden and the forest beyond. It was raining today. I smiled. _That means I actually have time to make a proper evening meal tonight. If Edward gets a little huffy about that then he can roll his sleeves up and help. Oh, Bella you do sound confident!_

Before starting on the breakfast I decided to bake a cake. This could then been eaten at any time today. I wasn't sure if everyone would be staying in or going out so if there was plenty of choice in the food department then it wouldn't matter too much what they were doing. I found all the ingredients in the dry goods cupboard and set to work making the mixed fruit cake. Perfect with coffee or tea later on. I switched the oven on to pre-heat. As I mixed the ingredients together I watched a deer appear from the forest on the edge of the garden. It stood very still for a moment, nibbled at the lush grass and then suddenly snapped its head up, its ears pricked and it darted back into the forest. _Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful!_ I just hoped that it was not being hunted by anything in the forest, man or beast.

The mixture was ready. I spooned it into a loaf tin that I had greased and popped it in the warm oven. I set the timer for forty five minutes. I put the heat lamps on and took out ingredients for breakfast, from the fridge. I set to work on making eggs Benedict and bacon. Angela had made sure that there was a large, fresh loaf of bread for the weekend. I sliced half of it up, ready for toasting. I set the coffee pot on and finished making the sauce. As if by magic, Emmett was the first to get up this morning.

"Good morning, Bella. How are you this rainy Forks morning?" He asked, pouring himself a coffee and making his way to the table.

"Good, Emmett, really good." I answered with a smile and resumed cooking breakfast. The timer went off. I quickly checked on the cake. It needed another five minutes so I added five minutes onto the timer.

"Umm, that smells like heaven. You're being very busy today. Did you miss not being in the kitchen yesterday? I know my stomach did." He said, patting his stomach to emphasize his words.

"It was nice to have the day off, but this is the job I'm paid to do, so I'm back in the kitchen. Are you ready to eat?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"Let me think about that for a minute? As ready as I'll ever be!" His eyes widened as I took the plate over to him.

"Wow, eggs Benedict. This is mom's favourite. Ooh, you are good, Bella. Very good." I decided that Emmett is actually very good for your confidence first thing in the morning as long as it's something to do with food of course!

I made my way back to the kitchen just as the timer went off. I opened the oven door and pulled out the cake. It had browned very well and smelt delicious.

"Is that cake for now or later, Bella?" Emmett asked with a grin on his face.

"Later, Emmett. Later." I replied. His faced looked a little sad for a moment.

"Can I please have another round of eggs Benedict then?" He asked holding out his plate.

I smiled at him having already predicted he would want a second lot. He brought his plate out to me and I filled it up again.

Esme joined me in the kitchen. "Oh, Bella. My favourite breakfast. How wonderful! Thank you dear."

"You're welcome Esme. Make yourself comfortable and I'll bring the plate over." I finished Esme's eggs and took the plate over to her.

"You have had something to eat I take it, Bella?" She looked up at me showing concern.

"Yes, I had toast earlier on. I'll make myself some eggs once everyone has eaten." I reassured her.

Slowly everyone else drifted downstairs. I quickly put together everyone's breakfast.

Edward stood in the kitchen waiting for me to finish. He was a little distracting to say the least but he did stay out of the way. He took the coffee pot into the breakfast room to refill some cups and set another lot of coffee on. I looked over to him and smiled at him, as a thanks for his thoughtfulness. I handed his breakfast to him and finally made my own. A few minutes later I was sitting at the table next to Edward, with the family.

Edward turned to me and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Bella. This is delicious."

I blushed slightly at his show of affection. _I will get used to this. I know I will._

The sound of the doorbell broke us out of our silent moment. Rosalie got up from the table mumbling. "That'll be my Monday morning appointment, one day early!" She said under her breath as she headed for the front door. We all stayed in the breakfast room. Edward fetched the coffee pot and placed it in the middle of the table.

Rosalie entered the kitchen looking for something. She saw the coffee pot on the table and grabbed it to pour out a cup. "This is for Jacob. I won't be long." She stated and disappeared out of the breakfast room.

When I'd finished eating, I began to clear the table. Edward helped to take the dishes out to the kitchen. The rest of the family seemed to be very happy to stay at the table in relaxed conversation. Edward and I loaded the dishwasher and I wiped down the counter tops. I stood still for a moment looking out of the window. It was still raining. Edward stood behind me and snaked his arms around my waist. I rested my head on his chest and shut my eyes for a moment relishing his closeness.

"Jacob wanted to say 'hi', Bella." Rosalie's voice broke me out of my moment. I jumped slightly. Edward didn't let go of me. He huffed into my hair. _I know how you feel my love._

We both turned toward the kitchen door still in our embrace. Rosalie rolled her eyes at Edward. She seemed rather put out by Jacob's request.

"Hi, Jacob. How are you?" I asked in a light and polite voice.

"Great thanks, Bells." Edward tightened his grip by a degree at the name 'Bells'. Jacob's eyes shifted from my face down to Edward's arms that were around me.

"So, Bells. Things are going okay, are they?" He asked, looking at my face again. I understood the double meaning of his question. I knew that it had registered with Edward. He leaned into my hair and planted a kiss on the back of my head. _Okay, Edward I think his getting the message!_

"Yep, everything is just fine. So, you've signed your life away then." I stated, trying the change the subject. I smiled at him.

"Yes." He looked over to Rosalie who was busy studying her nails. "I suppose I'd better get going. The business is not going to set itself up. I'll catch up with you during the week, Mrs Cullen, to organise another meeting before we order the machinery." He said. Rosalie nodded to him.

"No problem. Jacob. Ring my office tomorrow and I'll let you know when I can come over to the premises." She replied and gestured for him to leave.

"Bye, Bells. Edward." Jacob said as he walked down the hallway.

"Bye, Jacob." I called out. Edward stayed silent. He sighed into my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

I turned around in his arms. "Relax. He's gone." I reached up to his cheek and kissed him. He nodded.

Rosalie returned to the kitchen looking a little less tense. "Em, I'm going to go to the gym for a work out. Are you going to join me?" She asked getting a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Sure Rose. I'm on my way!" He said, heading down the hallway.

Rosalie smiled and got another bottle of water out of the fridge. She followed Emmett.

"Better stay out of the gym for a while. I just hope they remember to lock the door this time." Edward mumbled. "It's not a pretty sight, believe me, Bella." He said. I blushed.

"Hey, Bella. I'm going to make use of the pool today. Jasper says exercise is good for me, especially swimming. Care to join me?" Alice asked as she walked through the kitchen smiling at us.

"Yes, Alice that would be great. I'll go and get ready." Edward released me from his grasp.

"May I join you?" He asked, looking at me from under his lashes.

"How can I say 'no'?" I kissed him quickly and made my way upstairs to my room.

A short time later, changed and ready to meet Alice, I walked into the pool room. Edward was already in the water. Alice was sitting on one of the loungers. I went and sat next to Alice. Edward didn't take his eyes off me.

"Is Jasper going to join us?" I asked her. She looked over to Edward and smiled.

"Yes, I think he is. I think you'd better get in there, Bella, before he combusts." She giggled.

I made my way over to the ladder and slowly lowered myself into the pool. Edward's eyes were still locked on me. _Poor man. I think I'm having too much fun._

I swam over to him and stood in front of him, keeping my hands down by my sides.

"You're killing me, Bella." He wrapped his arms around me. "I love you so much. Have I told you that today?" He asked, kissing my forehead.

"Not today, no. I love you too you know." I answered and rested my head on his damp chest. His heart began to beat erratically.

"I think we should get on with some swimming, don't you?" I said, wriggling out of his arms.

Alice lowered herself into the pool and Jasper joined us a short time later. We spent our time swimming gently. There were not going to be any racing games today with Alice in the pool. Eventually the whole family joined us. We had a lot of fun. Once Alice had had enough, I joined her at the side of the pool. We wrapped ourselves up in large towels and made ourselves comfortable on loungers.

Esme got out of the pool and joined us. We looked on as all the men and Rosalie decided to play an odd game of water polo. I checked the time with Esme. It was fast approaching one o'clock. I checked with Esme if toasted sandwiches would be okay for lunch. She nodded. I made my way back to my room and took a quick shower. I smelt of strawberries and freesia once again. I got dressed and put a clean apron on and made my way back downstairs.

As I put together the sandwiches ready for toasting I decanted some ice tea into a jug and set it on the tray with tumblers and took it through to the pool room. Esme came over to the table as I set the tray down.

"Thank you, Bella. Great idea. They're going to be very thirsty once they've finished playing this game. I'll pour, Bella." She patted my arm.

Back in the kitchen I toasted the sandwiches and set them on a large platter with some green salad and a bowl of fruit. I made my way back to the pool room setting the platter and bowl down and quickly got some picnic plates, Esme indicated to, in a cupboard by the fridge. Everyone had now had a shower and were drying themselves off ready to eat.

We made sure that Alice had first choice and then the rest of us filled our plates. After lunch I cleared up and took everything back to the kitchen. I began to get things ready for the evening meal. I looked through the fridge trying to decide on what to cook. I remembered that there were salmon steaks in the freezer. I checked the freezer to make sure there were enough for everyone. _Yes! Salmon parcels and couscous. Nice,_ _easy and quick._ We had plenty of fruit that could be used, so I decided to prepare a fresh fruit salad and I would add a scoop of ice cream to each bowl. Filling but not too heavy. I took the fish out of the freezer and set them to one side so that they could begin to defrost. I cut up some sheets of baking paper to wrap the fish and couscous in. I also prepared some vegetables to add to the couscous mixture. Everything was organised. I stood back from the sink after washing my hands.

"There you are, beautiful." Edward walked over to where I was standing. "Are you going to be staying in here the entire afternoon?" He reached for me and turned me around to face him.

"I've sorted out the food for later. I can take a break now, for a little while anyway." I answered making sure he understood that I was cooking tonight. He reached for the ties of the apron at the front and undid them. He took the apron off, leaving it on the counter top.

He took me by the hand led me back to the pool room. Everyone was still relaxing there. I sat down next to Alice on one of the loungers.

"Bella, when I've contacted the bakery I'd like you to come with me for the meeting. After that I'd like you to take over liaising with them, until the tiers are ready. Is that okay?" She looked at me waiting for a reaction. I nodded. "I just think that it would be a good idea for you to take over completely. You know far more than I do. I'm always here if you need to talk about any of it."

I reached over to her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm only too happy to take over, Alice. I'm just a little surprised that you have so much faith in me, that's all."

"Bella, if I can't trust you to do this, then who can I trust. You are the best person for this job. Remember we start tomorrow." She patted my hand.

I stayed in the pool room chatting to Esme for a short time before it was time for me to go and cook the evening meal. I excused myself and went to the kitchen to start work.

The meal was ready an hour later. I called everyone into the breakfast room, to eat. I placed a parcel on each plate and set them on the table.

"Hey, this looks different, Bella. Are you putting us on a diet or something?" Emmett asked as he looked at his plate with a frown on his face.

"No, silly. The food is inside. Just be careful when you open it. It'll be very hot." I instructed him.

He sat down and looked at it for a moment. He then started to open the parcel.

"Oh, look there's the food?! Hey, Bella this smells good." He said finally smiling.

"Enjoy it, Emmett." I replied and sat down to join the family.

Edward helped to clear the plates and I brought out the large bowl of fruit salad and made sure there was enough ice cream in each bowl. Everyone helped themselves. Edward put on the coffee pot to end the meal. We sat drinking coffee and chatted about everything and nothing. After I loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up in the kitchen I said 'goodnight' to the family.

Edward followed me up the stairs, he hesitate on the first floor landing. "Aren't you coming with me?" He said looking a little puzzled.

"No, you're coming with me." I said, looking at him and holding out my hand to him. He took my hand and I led him up to my bedroom.

"I thought you may as well stay here tonight, as your robe is up here." I said pointing to his robe on the bed.

He smiled and pulled me into his arms. "Bella, have I told you how much I love you today?" He grinned.

"Yes but I don't mind if you say it again." I grinned back.

It didn't take us long to get undressed and make ourselves comfortable in bed. He carefully let my hair down out of its binding and laid it across the pillow.

He leaned in close and nuzzled my hair, taking in its scent. "Umm. You smell wonderful." He said leaning on his side, stroking my cheek. My stomach was twitching at the sensation of his breath fanning over my face. I reached up to run my fingers over his lips. He shut his eyes for a moment and reached across my body, pushing himself up and hovered over me. He lent down and kissed my neck in all the right places. My body responded immediately. He kissed my mouth gently at first and then with more force, begging for me to allow his tongue entry. I parted my lips and my legs at the same time.

He moaned into my mouth at the sensation of my legs now wrapped around his waist. He entered me gently and began kissing my heated chest. I raked my fingers through his hair fisting it at every wonderful new sensation running through my body. He set a steady pace holding his body up by his arms so that he could lavish kisses over my breasts. My back arched and my breathing became more erratic. As the first wave of my orgasm hit me I let go of his hair and grabbed at the pillow under my head, digging my nails into it. I couldn't keep still, so I matched my movements with his. We were perfectly synchronised. He finally met his lips with mine again, our tongues dancing and tasting each other. I held him closer to me, my core pulsating as a fresh wave ran through me. He grunted softly in my ear as his pace increased.

"I love you Edward. I love you." I said breathlessly, kissing his neck. My words were all that were needed for him to take me with him over the edge. As his pace slowed I stroked his face and kissed his cheek. I let him lay still on me for a while until our breathing gained some kind of normality. Eventually he pushed himself up and rolled over onto his back in one easy movement. He lay there next to me, his body illuminated by a shaft of light, from the full moon, shining through the curtains. He looked amazing. And he was all mine.

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note; **Well I think Jacob finally got the message don't you? Please review whether you liked it or not. I can't continue without knowing how you feel about this story. Thank you.


	27. Chapter 27

Authors note; Many thanks for the reviews received on the last chapter. I can hardly believe I have almost 200 reviews! You are all very kind and encouraging. From now on I will be covering at least two days per chapter. I have so many things to write about that it would take up far too many chapters. So, I hope you enjoy the next instalment. Bella is going to get busy!

Beta reader; Thanks to NatalieRB for your help.

Disclaimer; I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

With breakfast out of the way it was time to head back to Seattle and the city house. After the weekend I'd had, I felt relaxed and focused for the week ahead. Edward and I chatted easily during the journey after we said our 'goodbyes' to the family. We had the radio on but I didn't really listen to it. It was just background noise. The sound of Edward's voice was much more appealing to my ears.

As we pulled up on the drive we both let out a small sigh. We looked at each other. We were now back in reality. Work commitments would mean that Edward would be away for a couple of days and nights at a time. As if he could read my mind, he reached out and took my hand in his and kissed my palm.

"Don't worry, Bella. I'll be here Wednesday. Besides, you're going to be really busy this week from what Alice says." He smiled at me making my heart skip a beat.

"I know. This is going to be a very interesting week. Now I've got my head around it all, I'm actually looking forward to being involved with the wedding in some small way."

"Small way! No way is organising the cake 'small way'!" He retorted, with a slight chuckle.

I smiled back at him in surrender. He was right. The wedding cake was one of the major features of the day's events. I felt my stomach knot again at the thought of the importance of getting this right.

"Come on. Let's get our things inside." He opened his door and as quick as a flash was at my door, helping me out of the car. He grabbed our bags from the back seat while I opened the front door. He took our bags straight up the stairs to the first floor. No doubt to his room. The thought of sleeping in his bed while he was working made my body warm in anticipation.

I walked into the kitchen and checked the fridge. _I need to stop checking the fridge on a Monday. Angela knows exactly what is needed._

Edward returned downstairs and clicked the kettle on to make tea. "What time are you starting work today?" I asked as he sat at the breakfast bar.

"I got a call while I was upstairs. They want me in as soon as possible. Sorry, Bella. I'll have this drink and then I'd better go." He looked at me with apologetic eyes.

I moved over to stand next to him and cupped his face with my hands. "It's okay. I understand. We'll be so busy that Wednesday will come soon enough." I kissed his mouth gently hopefully showing that I really didn't hate his job. Far from it, I was proud of what he did and he needed me to back him all the way.

The kettle boiled and he finished making the tea. We sat holding hands until a short time later his cup was empty. He let out a sigh and stood up placing himself between my legs. His kiss was gentle and lingered a little longer than usual. Not a 'final goodbye' kiss but a 'see you soon' kiss. I hope I never ever get a 'final goodbye' kiss. That would be something I'd never recover from.

I kissed him back trying to convey that I would be waiting for him. He gave me a small smile and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'll see you Wednesday, Bella. I love you. Speak to you later."

"I love you too. Take care." I answered. He grabbed his jacket and I walked him to the front door, waving as he drove off.

I didn't waste any time moping. I made my way back to the kitchen and opened the diary on today's page. It was blank so I began to fill it with ideas for tonight's menu and a list of things I had to get. I realised that I would have to start planning the meals differently. Any spare time I'd have, I would make extra food and freeze it. Organising the menus two days in advance rather than on the day would help to give me time to help Alice out more with the wedding planning business.

The house phone rang. It was Alice. "You are going to have to give me your phone number when I see you later Bella. It will make life a lot easier for both of us. I can't believe I didn't think of it at the weekend." She took a short breath. "I've contacted a bakery that will make the cake. I've made an appointment for us to meet up tomorrow morning. Charlie will take us there."

"Okay, Alice, tomorrow morning." I repeated, writing it down in the diary. "I'll see you later then, Alice. Have a good day."

"You too, Bella. 'Bye." Alice replied, cheerfully.

I decided to write down Tuesday's menu now and put my new plan of action into motion. I sat back ten minutes later having covered all the bases. I quickly wrote out a list of shopping that was needed. _I'll be able to carry this home today._ I grabbed my jacket and a bag and set off to the grocery, butchers and fish shops.

When I got back I set work on making the food for the next day, quickly making a sandwich so I didn't forget to eat. My phone rang. It was mom. A feeling of guilt ran through me. _I didn't ring them at the weekend. Bite the bullet, Bella._

"Hi, mom. I'm so sorry. The weekend just flew by. I'm glad you understand. So, how are you both and how's grandma? Good. Did the flowers arrive safely? Good. Yes, I remembered what her favourites were. Oh, everything is fine here. Alice…yes I'm allowed to call her by her first name. She's just found out that she's expecting. The baby's due by the end of the year. Oh, yes we … they're all very excited. So Alice has asked me to help with the organising of the wedding cake for August. She wants me to help with her wedding planning business as well! Yes, I know. I just need to organise my days differently that's all. Do I? Sound different you mean. Well, I… Yes, I have met someone. I know this is going to sound a bit strange but its Edward, Edward Cullen. No it doesn't make things complicated at all. The family have been wonderful about it. Relax mom. It really is okay. Mom, I think I'm old enough to know what I'm doing. Mom, really stop worrying. He cares for me very much. I'm very happy, okay? Okay, give my love to dad and grandma when you see her. Speak to you soon. 'Bye."

I stood for a moment. Well, what could I expect she was my mother and mothers always worry. Esme seemed to be the exception though. But then again maybe she did worry. Maybe she just dealt with it differently.

I turned my attention back to finishing tomorrow's food and began on this evening's menu. I took a break about three o'clock and went to have a shower… in Edward's room. I opened the door carefully. I felt as though I was snooping. When I saw my bag at the end of the bed that feeling soon disappeared. Edward wanted me here. I opened my bag and took out my shampoo and shower gel. I wasn't even sure which door led to the bathroom. They all looked the same. After opening the third door, I found it. I turned on the taps and adjusted them to a slightly lower temperature than obviously Edward liked it. I stepped in and let the warm water cascade over my body. I imagined him in here with me. _That's definitely going to happen. Soon._ I broke myself out of my daydream and finished my shower and wrapped a large towel around me to get dry. I towel dried my hair and secured it up in a high ponytail and quickly got dressed.

Back down in the kitchen with my apron back on, I finished cooking. Alice was home first.

"Hi, Bella let me show you the details of the bakery were going to use." She said excitedly.

"Come and sit down, Alice. Would you like something to drink?" I asked, patting a barstool.

"Just water please." I handed her a bottle and glass. "Thanks Bella. Now check over the details please. Make sure they're right and then when we have this meeting tomorrow they'll know exactly what we want."

I looked over the information about the bakery and the details of our requirements. I nodded. "That seems fine, Alice. If they are as good they sound, you may want to use them for all of the wedding planning orders."

"Just what I was thinking. Good, Bella, I can see this arrangement is going to work out very well. While I remember, put your number in my phone" She said smiling, handing the phone to me. I punched the numbers in. "Thanks, Bella." She smiled and hopped off the stool to go and get changed. "By the way dinner smells good. What are we having tonight?" She asked, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

"Moussaka." I replied. Her face lit up.

I poured the carrot and coriander soup into a saucepan to heat up and arranged the rolls in the bread basket.

The family arrived home and greeted me warmly. We all sat at the dinning table and waited for Esme to serve the soup. Alice told Rosalie the good news about the bakery and that a meeting had been arranged for the morning.

Rosalie sighed, I think with relief. "Thanks Alice for getting that sorted so quickly. So, all I have to do now is decide on the decoration for the cake and let Bella know. Right?" We nodded to her. "No pressure then?" She replied.

"I'll give you a month to think about, Rosalie. After that I need to draw up some designs for your approval and I'll make some samples so you can get an idea of the scale of the flowers." I said finishing my soup and collecting some empty bowls from the table.

"I can see this cake being in demand by the time the pictures hit the gossip columns." Esme said with a large smile.

"Gossip columns?" I said, surprised.

"Yes, Bella. This wedding is going to be the society wedding of the month!" Rosalie answered with a look of pride on her face. Emmett just rolled his eyes.

I got the feeling Emmett would have been happy with a quiet wedding. Making Rosalie happy was all he worried about.

I took the stack of bowls and spoons out to the kitchen. Jasper brought out the tureen and bread basket.

I set the large dish of moussaka on the trivets in the middle of the table. Everyone took in a deep breath of the aroma. The Béchamel sauce had browned nicely. It didn't take long before the main meal was gone. Every last mouthful.

"Thanks for that, Bella. I'll help with the dishes." Emmett said, as he got up from the table and began to collect the plates up and followed me out to the kitchen. "Can I take the dessert out for you?" He asked. It was good to see that Emmett was becoming very domesticated.

I handed him the pineapple upside down cake and I carried in the pouring cream. Esme had already arranged the bowls in front of her. She began to serve the dessert.

I quickly put on the coffee so that it would be ready for when we had finished eating.

Five minutes after I had finished eating, my phone rang. I checked the screen and smiled. I excused myself from the table and took the call in the kitchen, making myself comfortable at the breakfast bar.

"Hey you. How are things? Good, not too busy then. Oh, everyone is fine here. Alice has arranged a meeting with the bakery she found to make the cake. Tomorrow morning. Yes, I'm looking forward to it. I miss you too. Your bed is going to be very lonely without you in it. Umm. Okay, sleep well. Speak to you tomorrow. I love you. 'Bye." I sat quietly for a moment to give my heart a chance to calm down.

The coffee was ready so I arranged the tray and took it into the lounge and cleared the dinning table on the way back as the family went to lounge to relax.

I loaded the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen ready for the morning. "If you don't need me to do anything else Esme, I think I'll go to bed now."

"Of course, Bella. You've got a busy day tomorrow. Sleep well, dear." She answered getting up and giving me a motherly hug. A chorus of 'goodnight' and 'sleep well' was exchanged as I made my way upstairs. Within minutes I was snuggled up in Edward's very large and very comfortable bed. I set the alarm clock for the morning. It wasn't long before I fell asleep.

Tuesday

I woke up refreshed and ready for the day. I quickly got washed and dressed and was downstairs setting the table ready for breakfast, by 6.30. I organised everything in the kitchen and set the coffee pot on. Emmett was the first to sit at the table. I filled his plate and took it to the table for him.

"Good morning, Bella. Thanks for this." He smiled, grateful as ever.

I returned to the kitchen and fetched the coffee pot and set it on the table. There was silence as Emmett devoured his breakfast at record speed. Jasper arrived at the table looking a little worried.

"Is everything okay Jasper?" I asked. Emmett looked up from his plate and narrowed his eyes at Jasper.

"Hey, what's up? You look like you didn't sleep well." Emmett asked, frowning.

"Nothing to worry about. I have to take on a case for a colleague today. I'm not too sure that everything is going to go that well in court." He said and then added, "I may have to ask for an extension. It will make our side look weak." It sounded like he was thinking out aloud to himself. He sat down and poured out a coffee.

"Can I just have some toast please, Bella?" He said sounding very distracted.

"Of course, Jasper." I replied and went to put the toast on.

The rest of the family came down and sat at the table helping themselves to coffee. I took out the toast and a couple of plates of food to the table returning for the rest of the plates and I finally sat to have some breakfast.

With just the clearing up to do, I checked with Alice the time that I needed to be ready to leave. I had an hour. I cleaned up the kitchen and took the food for later, out of the freezer. I went up to my room to get changed. I didn't think that jeans and a polo shirt would look very professional so I put on a pair of smart black trousers and a pale blue blouse. I let my hair down and brushed it through. I looked in the mirror. _Yes, much better._

Back downstairs again Alice was having a drink of fresh orange. Everyone else had gone to work. Alice looked at me from top to toe. There was a flash of emotion in her eyes I couldn't quite place. She gave me a quick nod. The front door opened and Charlie entered the kitchen and nodded politely.

"Hi, Charlie. We've just got to get our jackets. We'll follow you out to the car." Alice said, motioning me to follow her.

Alice got into the car first. I thanked Charlie, for holding the door as I got in and made myself comfortable. The journey across town didn't take long. Charlie knew all the short cuts around the heavy traffic. He pulled up in a parking bay at the bakery and held the door open for us. Alice told him that we wouldn't be more than half an hour. He nodded and wished us well with the meeting.

We entered the building. The bakery Manager was waiting for us. He shook our hands and led us to an office that had access to the bakery. I looked through the large window facing the stainless steel tables. Everyone looked very busy.

"So Mrs Whitlock. We've agreed that we'll do the baking. I take it this is Miss Swan?" He nodded and smiled in my direction.

"Yes, pleased to meet you, Mr Newton." I answered.

"So you are, I understand, the talented person who is going to finish decorating the cake?" He asked and I nodded. "Excellent." He added.

We checked through the details of the recipe, which was now going to include a finish of royal icing, the sizes and date we needed it ready for.

"You have the number to contact Miss Swan, don't you Mr. Newton?" Alice asked. He nodded. It looked to me as if she were winding up this meeting. She stood up, picking up her purse and jacket. "So, thank you for the meeting and I'm handing everything over to Miss Swan from now on." She reached out her hand and shook hands with Mr. Newton. He reached out to shake my hand.

"I'll be in touch, Miss Swan, soon." I reached out my hand and shook his and the meeting was over. We returned to the car.

"Charlie, would you drop us off at the boutique please. We'll be a while but I'll ring when we're done." She said smiling at Charlie as he brought the car to life. Charlie smiled back at her through the rear view mirror and nodded.

"I need to get back to the house, Alice!" I tried not to speak too loudly but Alice got the message.

"Bella, you're too organised to be worrying about tonight's dinner. I'll make sure Charlie gets you back to your kitchen in plenty of time. Relax." She patted my hand looking very self-satisfied.

I huffed and folded my arms across my chest in defeat. There was no arguing with Alice when she looked like that. It was beginning to dawn on me why she had looked at me the way she did this morning. _My clothes! What was wrong with my clothes? They're fine! Surely!_

Apparently not. We arrived at the boutique and before Charlie could open the door, Alice dragged me out of the car and into the shop. _Boy she is strong!_ Terri and Heidi smiled at me sympathetically as Alice told me to sit down on a chair by a display of shoes. She got coffee organised and pulled out an empty rail.

"You are going to be working for me now. You are going to be meeting clients and arranging meetings and dealing with other businesses. You need to look the part, Bella. You said you wanted to help. So, you need to look that part. Consider this your first month's salary!"

I was dumbstruck. How could I argue with her? Did I dare to? No! I gave her a weak smile. "Okay, Alice you win. I understand what you're saying. So, what have you got in mind?"

She smiled broadly having gained control. "We need to get together a capsule wardrobe for you, Bella. The blouse you're wearing is a good colour on you and the trousers are a classic. So, we'll add to that."

She picked out a couple of skirts, another pair of trousers, two more blouses for everyday and two more blouses that were a little dressy and two dresses, placing them all on the rail. She looked over at the shoes and picked out three pairs, presumably to match with any outfit combination and gestured for me to go into the, now familiar, changing room. I stripped off without being asked. I wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible so that I could get back to 'my' kitchen.

Of course Alice had chosen well. She slipped out of the room at one point and returned minutes later with some new underwear. _Surely that has got to be it? _

After I had tried everything on and Alice was happy, she took the rail back out of the door and asked Terri to bag everything up.

Once dressed, I went to join Alice and the array of bags at her feet. I took a deep breath. This was just too much! She noticed my look straight away.

"Don't say a word, Bella. You will need all of this, trust me. You are going to be very successful. Trust me I know." She said as she handed me some bags to carry.

The car was already waiting outside, with Charlie holding the door open. We left the shop and Charlie put all the bags in the boot. I turned to Alice and hugged her.

"Thank you Alice. It's too much but thank you." I kissed her cheek and got into the car and waved as the car pulled away.

Charlie helped me get the bags into the hallway when we got back to the house. He smiled at me as he placed the last bags at me feet. "It looks like your going to be very busy, Bella. I'm so pleased for you. The family really care for you very much. You've made quite an impression so soon." He patted my arm and added, "Good luck, Bella with everything you have to do."

"Thank you so much, Charlie. You have a good day. I'll see you later in the week no doubt." I replied and he nodded.

I shut the door and began to take the bags up to my room. I had to make two more journeys upstairs. I checked my watch when I was finally in the kitchen. Jessica had done her work and was no where to be seen. I breathed a sigh of relief. _I really don't_ _want to have to explain to her what was going on just yet!_

I quickly tied an apron around my waist and refreshed my mind as to what I was doing for tonight's dinner. The main meal was almost totally defrosted. Meatballs and spaghetti. I set about preparing the starters. Stuffed mushrooms with vegetables left over from yesterday, topped with Mozzarella. Nice and easy. I turned my attention to making a dessert. It would have to be something quick. Baked pears and apples with a honey sauce and I'd have enough time to make some crème Anglaise. With that organised in my head I prepared the pears and apples. And set them on a plate and put them back in the fridge. I got the ingredients together to make the spaghetti. This procedure took a little time so it gave me a moment to take in all of today's events so far.

I thought about the clothes that Alice had given me. I know they cost more that what she would pay me in a month. I would have to make sure that the wedding planning business would turn out to be a success. She was relying on me. She had so much faith in my abilities. _Can I do this? Am I going to be able to live up to her expectations? All I can do is try my best and make sure that I ask for help when I need it._ I took a deep breath and put together the mixture for the pasta setting it to one side for a short time. I quickly made myself a cup of tea and toasted two slices of bread, eating it as I cleaned up a little in the kitchen.

I got the dinning table ready and put the starters and meatballs in the oven to begin getting the meal ready. Almost at the same time the family arrived home, laughing and chatting about their day. Jasper seemed to be a lot happier than first thing this morning. No doubt Alice's infectious happy personality had something to do with that. They greeted me as they made their way upstairs to get changed. I checked on the stuffed mushrooms. They would only need a few minutes more. I put took the pears and apples from the fridge and placed them in a baking dish and placed them in the bottom of the oven to begin the cooking process. I turned my attention to the pasta mixture. It was ready to turn out onto the floured countertop and turned into strands of spaghetti. A few minutes later and the mushrooms were ready. I took them out of the oven and rearranged the food in the oven, ready for the main course to finish.

Esme gathered everyone to the table and I served the starters. I skipped this part of the meal as I had to get the pasta made. I made the spaghetti and placed it carefully into the pan of boiled water. The meatballs were up to temperature. I got the serving dishes ready and poured the meatballs and sauce into one bowl and put a lid on it. I then drained the spaghetti and put that into the other bowl. I took the bowl of spaghetti out to the table and set it down and returned to take the other bowl out. Esme started to dish up the main meal and placed a plate at my space. I quickly returned to check on the fruit. They were cooking gently and smelt good. I went back to the table and ate, finishing quickly so that I could see to the dessert. I took out some empty plates with me when I returned to the kitchen. I made the honey sauce first and then put together the crème Anglaise.

I set the cooked fruit on a large serving dish and poured the sauces into jugs, taking everything out to the table, returning to the kitchen with the rest of the dirty dishes. I sat down at the table again. Esme passed the bowls around the table. The sauces mixed together well. With the meal finished we sat back.

Jasper kindly took out the empty bowls and put the coffee pot on. He waited in the kitchen until the coffee was ready, getting the tray ready with the cups and cream. He brought the tray out to the table. We sat and had our coffee there this evening. I think we were a little too full to move.

Alice explained to everyone about the meeting this morning and Rosalie was brought up to speed that I would now be in charge of the wedding cake. Rosalie smiled confidently at me.

"It's going to be amazing, I'm sure of it. Everything is going to be just wonderful. Won't it Em?" Rosalie gushed, looking at Emmett starry eyed. He smiled back at her, his dimples on full show.

Emmett stretched, feigning a yawn. "You know, what Rose. I think I'll go up to bed now. I'm quite tired." He gave her a sly wink. "Goodnight everyone."

"Yeah, I could do with an early night too. I've got a busy day tomorrow. Goodnight all." Rosalie said, following Emmett up the stairs.

Alice and I giggled a little. Esme smiled as she watched them disappear upstairs. She stood up and helped to collect the empty cups and placed them on the tray. It was a signal that the day was over. I took the tray out to the kitchen and finished loading the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen. It had been a successful and eventful day. I said 'goodnight' to everyone and went to my room first to hang up my new clothes. As I was doing this my phone rang. I smiled at it and answered.

"Hi Edward. How are you? Yes, I had a good day. The meeting went well this morning. Alice and I think we might use them for other orders we get in the future. Alice has given me some new clothes. Yes, I know. She said I need to look the part for when I meet potential clients. Well, I'll show you tomorrow. You'll be home in time for dinner, right? Good. Okay, sleep well. Thanks. I love you Edward. 'Bye."

I shut my phone and lent against the wardrobe door, the clothes finally put away. I left the shoes in their boxes and stacked them in a corner of the room. I carefully put the new underwear away in the chest of drawers.

I made my way downstairs to Edward's room. Within minutes I had undressed and snuggled down for the night. _Just tonight, Bella and then he'll be home. _I sighed contentedly and soon fell asleep.

**End of Chapter**

Authors note; So, let me know what you think. Bella is now going to be using her talents to her full potential, after all this is just what she's qualified for. All your comments are welcome, so please review. Take care.


	28. Chapter 28

**Authors note;** Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. I know I said that I would write two days per chapter. Well, I couldn't do it with this chapter as Edward is back from work and he surprises Bella in a lovely way. I needed to devote this chapter to him so that we can enjoy how wonderful he is! Enjoy.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks NatalieRB.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Wednesday

_It's Wednesday!_ I woke up in a really good mood this morning. As I got ready I thought about Edward coming home and being able to spend time with him. On the way down to the kitchen I began to think about cooking a straight forward meal that would not keep me in the kitchen all evening.

I put the coffee pot on and checked in the diary that there wasn't a last minute entry for any guests tonight. The page was blank. _Great! I'll be able to put together a quick meal for later._ I quickly laid the table before anyone came down.

Back in the kitchen I began to mix together the ingredients for pancakes, turned the heat lamps on and got busy cooking scrambled eggs and bacon. Once that was done I sat down for a minute and poured myself a coffee and toasted some bread.

Jasper was the first person to come downstairs. "Morning, Jasper. Did you sleep well?" I asked remembering how tired he looked yesterday morning.

"Morning, Bella. Yes, thanks. I slept much better last night." He answered pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"How did it go in Court, yesterday? I hope you don't mind me asking?" I asked, hoping I hadn't asked about something that he was not allowed to talk about. I began to cook the pancakes as we chatted.

He smiled and answered, "Of course not, Bella. I don't know what I was worried about yesterday morning. When we got to Court it was found that the other side had failed to disclose vital information so the Judge found in our favour. You can imagine the relief I felt at that news. The Senior Partner was very impressed with how cool I stayed, considering it wasn't my case in the first place. He's invited me and Alice to go to dinner with him Friday night." His face was beaming at this point.

"Congratulations Jasper! So, I take it you'll be offered a Senior Partnership soon?" I asked. I genuinely thought that he should get it.

"Well maybe not this Friday, but sometime in the future would be good." He answered. He was certainly much more relaxed today.

Emmett arrived in the kitchen, grabbing a plate as I poured a cup of coffee out for him.

"Morning, goddess. Jasper. You both alright this morning?" He asked, filling his plate.

"Yes, thanks, Emmett." Jasper and I replied. I smiled to myself, watching Emmett sit at the table and start eating without any hesitation. Jasper quickly filled his plate and joined Emmett at the table. I took the coffee pot out to them, certain that everyone would be down soon.

Sure enough the rest of the family gathered in the kitchen. Alice didn't look too well.

_Morning sickness no doubt._

"Hey Alice, would you just like a couple of slices of toast this morning?" I asked. She didn't look like she could eat much else.

"Oh, Bella that would be great! I'm having a rough time with the sickness this morning. Up until now it hasn't been much of a problem but this morning. Ugh!"

Esme put an arm around Alice's shoulders and gave her a sympathetic hug. "Don't worry sweetheart. It won't last long. When is your appointment with the Doctor?"

"Tomorrow. Mom I still haven't decided whether or not to find out the sex of the baby. I'm thinking that it might be quite nice to let it be a surprise on the day. What do you think?" She asked.

"Well, there are advantages to knowing now. It would mean you can get the baby's room ready in the right colour. Or you could wait until he or she arrives and do all the decorating later. I could always organise for the room to be painted in neutral colours, it wouldn't make too much difference then!"

"That sounds like a great idea, mom. Why didn't I think of that? I must be loosing my mind or something!" She looked like she was going to cry at this point.

Esme hugged her again. "Calm down Alice. This is just the way things are at the moment. Once you've had the baby you'll be your normal organised self again. Don't forget, we're all here to help."

I handed Alice her toast and she made her way to the table. Jasper put his arm around her waist and kissed her gently on the cheek. He was going to be a great dad! Alice very quickly regained her composure sitting next to him.

"So, Bella! What time is Edward finishing work today?" Emmett asked. A large grin appeared across his face.

"He said he's going to be home by five o'clock, just in time for dinner." I stated in a very matter-of-fact tone. It was not that easy for Emmett to make me blush anymore. His grin disappeared when I turned to look at him calmly. I waited for Esme to select her breakfast and then chose my food. I glanced at the coffee pot on the table, it was almost empty so I decided to put another pot of coffee on.

"Come and sit down, Bella. Emmett's nearly finished. He can see to the coffee when it's ready." Carlisle instructed me. He pointed over to my seat and made sure that I sat down. I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness.

"Bella, you are going to cook something that won't take up too much of your time in the kitchen aren't you? Somehow I don't think Edward would appreciate getting home and you're too busy to even say hello." Esme said, looking up at me.

Emmett quickly got up and took the empty coffee pot to the kitchen, returning to the table with the freshly made coffee.

"Don't worry Esme, I'll organise something that will take up the minimum amount of time later on." I noticed Emmett's face look slightly shocked as I spoke. "Don't worry, Emmett I won't be serving up a snack, it will be the usual three courses. You're stomach will not even know the difference!" I assured him. He smiled back at me and Rosalie chuckled.

We finished breakfast and I cleared the table and said goodbye to everyone as they left for work. The house fell silent.

I began to think about the evening meal. I had gone to the fishmonger's on Monday and had put a selection of fish and other sea foods in the freezer. I decided to cook a very large fish pie.

I took out three different kinds of fish and half a bag of King Prawns, leaving them to one side to defrost. I then prepared a selection of vegetables and put then in a bowl of water so they wouldn't dry out. I had decided on making a cold watercress soup for the starter, getting everything together and began chopping and cooking the vegetables, adding all the other ingredients and of course the watercress, finally liquidising the whole lot and decanted the soup into a large jug and let it cool a little before putting it into the fridge. I made up a batch of dough for rolls and set that aside to prove.

I had just washed my hands after making the dough, when the phone rang.

"Hello, Cullen residence."

"Oh. Hello. Is that Miss Swan?" A man's voice asked.

"Yes, it is." _I'm not quite sure if I know this voice._

"Ah. Miss Swan. It's Mike Newton speaking." _Oh, right!_

"Yes, how can I help? Is there a problem with the order?" I couldn't think of any other reason why he would be ringing.

"Oh, no. There's no problem with that. It's just that I was wondering if you needed somewhere to decorate the cake when it's ready."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Mr Newton."

"Oh, please call me Mike. It's just that I have a spare room here at the bakery. It's clean and has a table and a sink with running water. I doubt very much if you have anywhere in the house that you'd be able to use when the time comes to decorate the cake. I was just trying to think ahead."

"Well, I think that's actually a really good idea. I would love to keep it a surprise, as much as possible for the couple. If you're absolutely sure that's okay? I just don't want to get in your way."

"You will absolutely not be getting in anyone's way here. What do you say Miss Swan?" He asked in an eager tone.

"Well, then, yes! Thank you so much for thinking of it. It would solve a lot of problems for me. I should find out in a few weeks as to what the decorating will entail, so I'll contact you nearer the time." I replied,

"Okay. I'm just glad that I was able to help out. Nice talking to you Miss Swan. Speak to you again soon."

"Yes. Thanks again Mr Newton. Goodbye."

"Goodbye then." He replied.

I put down the receiver and thought how helpful Mr Newton was. If it meant that I would need to use the spare room for anything in the future, I would have to sort out some kind of payment for doing so.

I turned my attention back to making the dessert for this evening. I looked in the fridge for a bag of cherries that I had bought on Monday. I sat down on a stool and began to prepare them to make a cherry crumble. I could basically get this ready now and then it could cook during the time that we would be having our first and main courses. Fortunately I had some Mascarpone cheese to accompany the crumble and would add a little fresh vanilla to it to enhance the flavours.

Some time later with the cherries ready, I put them in a dish and poured a measure of Kirsch liqueur over them and left it to rest. I then made the crumble mixture and left that in a covered bowl for later. Everything was more of less ready now. I would only have to spend the least amount of time cooking later.

I quickly made myself a sandwich for lunch and a cup of tea. The weather was actually quite good today, so I decided to have lunch outside on the bench in the garden.

I sat and relaxed on the bench, listening to the soothing sound of the fountain. The sun suddenly made an appearance from behind a large fluffy white cloud. I shut my eyes and tilted my face up in the direction of the sun. That was the only thing that I actually missed about not living in Phoenix. The sunshine. I thought for a moment about my new life here in Seattle. In just a few short weeks my life had changed completely. I had a fantastic job working for a lovely family. I was now involved in a wedding that was going to happen in just a few months time. I had grown in confidence since getting this job. As yet I had not once felt bored with the job and of course I had met and fallen in love with the most amazing man I had ever met! Surely my life could not get any better! These were the kind of things I had always dreamed about and now they were actually happening.

The sun's warmth on my face suddenly disappeared. _Another cloud must_ _have covered it again._ I opened my eyes and jumped, almost falling off the bench. There was Edward, standing in front of me, blocking out the suns rays. As I composed myself and began to breathe properly again I took in the sight before me. He looked amazing. With the sun behind him, his hair shimmered with various tones of bronze. His eyes were smiling at me and so were his lips. I didn't say a word and neither did he. It was another moment that I needed to commit to memory.

He leaned down and kissed me gently on my mouth.

"I missed you so much, I just couldn't stay away any longer, Bella." He said, only moving his face an inch away from mine. His breath fanned over my lips as he spoke, making my spine tingle and my stomach twitch. It felt like such a long time since we had touched each other. I reached out my hand and cupped his face.

"I hope you didn't get into trouble at work for coming home early." I said in almost a whisper.

"We weren't that busy this morning so I managed to get someone to cover me. No problem." He leaned in towards me again.

This time the kiss was a little more forceful. He held the back of my head with his hand and snaked his fingers through my ponytail. His tongue tasted delicious. I could feel all the tension in my body ebb away. I hadn't even realised that I was so tense. Not having him around did that to me. I knew that now. But I don't mind. I love that feeling because it shows me how much I need him.

He put his other arm around my back and pulled me up from the bench, still kissing me. I reached up on my toes to deepen the kiss. I had now forgotten how to breathe.

Edward pulled away from our kiss for a moment. "Breathe, Bella. Breathe." He said smiling. I hoped that he would never stop having this affect on me. It felt so good.

"I need to ask you one thing." He looked deep into my eyes.

"Okay." Was all could say.

"Can you be away from the kitchen for the next, say, two hours?" He asked, his eyes turning a dangerous green.

"Ummm, definitely." I replied.

He took my hand and picked up the plate and cup from the bench and led me back into the house. He put the plate and cup on the breakfast bar quickly and then led me upstairs to his room. He shut the door behind him and stood looking at me for a moment and then reached for the binding in my hair, taking it out and letting my hair fall freely.

"You are so beautiful, Bella. I've missed you so much." He said, taking two steps towards me.

I reached up with my hands to hold his face and kiss him tenderly. My hands travelled up to his head, my fingers finding their way into his hair, finally fisting it to hold him closer.

He made short work of taking off my apron, undoing my jeans and finally reaching for the hem of my t-shirt, slowly moving his hands up the side of my body and round to my back, undoing my bra. I pulled away from him, slipping off my shoes and wriggling out of my jeans. He reached forward but I stepped back. I wanted to take my t-shirt off. He kept his eyes locked on mine as I slid the t-shirt up my body and over my head. I let it drop to the floor, soon followed by the bra.

I walked toward him and began to take his clothes off item by item. His breath hitched as I unbuckled his belt and made short work of the button and zip. I pushed the trousers down past his hips, taking the boxers down with them and he stepped out of them as they hit the floor. His shirt was next. I made sure that I kept my eyes on his, feeling for the buttons as I undid them, working my way from the top to the bottom. He shut his eyes for just a moment as I pushed the shirt down his strong shoulders, trailing the cloth down his arms and finally letting it float to the floor. I gave a small smile thinking of the mess we were creating in this very tidy room.

Taking his hand I led him to the centre of the bed, he had no choice but to follow. He positioned himself between my legs. I certainly had his full attention now. Taking his eyes away from mine, he gently reached out and caressed every part of my now heated flesh. His touch was so gentle, goose bumps formed as his fingers made their way down me. My back arched as his fingers reached the hem of my lacy underpants. A small smile came to his lips for a moment. He then slid the lace fabric down my hips and away from my legs. He moved forward on his hands, hovering over me. He leaned into me, not quite touching my body with his. His patience was astounding. Our kiss this time was hungry and forceful, our tongues fighting for dominance. His body was now firmly pressed against mine. My need for him was so obvious now as I wrapped my legs around his waist pressing my heels into the small of his back. As he entered me, I moaned into his mouth, holding his face again to deepen the kiss. I was finding it hard to breathe and had to pull away for a moment as my first orgasm washed over me. He smiled at me relishing the feeling of my core throbbing around him.

"Oh, how I've missed you, Edward. Welcome home, my love." I smiled at him and traced my fingers along his jaw line and down his throat. I reached up to him and kissed the warm pink flesh of his chest. His patience had happily left the room as he set a steady pace, kissing me all over my face and fisting my hair. He groaned as another orgasm coursed through me causing me to dig my nails into his back.

"Bella. Oh, God, I love you. I … don't… think…I can … hold… on… much … longer." A moment after he said the last word, the urgency in him took over and we reached our high together, both struggling to breathe. He collapsed onto me, panting close to my ear, his breath fanning over my neck.

I held him, tightly to me, trying to regulate my breathing and heartbeat. I hated to think about anything other than him but I did have to check the time. As he rolled over onto his back staying very still, with his eyes shut, I quickly glanced at the clock.

I only had about ten minutes before I had to get into the shower and get back downstairs and make sure the dinner was ready on time.

I rolled over onto my side and stroked his chest and stomach gently. He twitched and shivered slightly.

"I'll have to get into the shower in a minute. The kitchen is calling my name," I whispered and kissed his shoulder. "You stay here and rest. I'll see you in a little while." He didn't answer. He had already fallen asleep. I shifted the comforter to cover him up so he wouldn't get cold and I had a quick shower. I dried myself off and towel dried my hair. I got dressed and brushed and retied my hair. I quickly picked up his clothes and put them on the chair, quietly leaving the room to go back to the kitchen. _Duty calls!_

I cut up the fish and cooked the pieces in the milk mixture with the prawns, herbs and black pepper. I began layering the fish and vegetables in the large oven dish. I made the sauce and poured it over the fish and put the cooked potatoes through the ricer. I put a thick layer of the potato over the fish, sprinkling some grated red cheese over the top. The main course was ready to put in the oven when the family arrived home. I quickly turned on the oven to heat up to the right temperature.

Finishing the dessert, ready to be cooked, I put the cherries and juice in an oven dish and covered it in the crumble topping, adding a little brown sugar to the top. This was also ready for the oven when the family came home.

I switched on the kettle to make myself a much needed cup of tea and put the dough balls into the oven. I had about ten minutes now, before the family was due home. I used this time to set the dinner table and wipe down the countertops and make sure that the kitchen was tidy.

Just after five o'clock they all arrived home within minutes of each other.

"Is Edward home yet?" Esme asked with a large smile.

"Yes, he's upstairs catching up on some sleep." I answered.

"Good. You'll wake him when dinner is ready, won't you, Bella. He needs a good meal inside him, I'm sure." She added, giving me a hug.

"Yes, I will Esme. It's a cold watercress soup to start so I don't have to worry about it spoiling." I answered.

I took the rolls out of the oven and let them cool down on the wire rack and put on a pot of coffee. I put the fish pie into the top part of the hot oven and slid the cherry crumble into the bottom of the oven to cook gently. I made my way upstairs as everyone was getting ready for dinner and went to wake Edward up. He stirred as I entered the room. I sat down on the bed, next to him.

"Everyone is home from work and I'm going to be serving dinner shortly." I said in a hushed tone. I stroked his chest with my fingers, relishing the chance to touch him again.

"Okay, I'll just have a quick shower and I'll be down before the soup is on the table." He said, making it sound like a challenge.

"Okay, Edward. You're on!" I stood up and began to walk out of the room. I saw him get out of bed and dash into the bathroom, in my peripheral vision. I smiled to myself. By the time I shut the door he was in the shower. I decided to be kind and took my time making my way back to the kitchen.

I took out the soup from the fridge and gave it a good stir and poured it into the tureen. I carefully added some Greek yoghurt in a swirling pattern, making sure that it just sat on the top of the soup. I put the rolls in the bread basket and took them out to the table. I returned to the table with the soup just as Edward sat down at the table. The whole family laughed as they saw the pleased look on his face.

"Don't tell me you set a challenge, Bella?" Emmett said loudly. "I haven't seen Edward move so fast out of water, for a long time!" Emmett added, slapping Edward on the back and making Edward wince.

"Well I think we'll have to call it a draw, as I've just set the soup on the table the moment you sat down!" I announced watching him as he tried to regain his normal breathing pattern.

Emmett looked at the soup as Esme filled each bowl. "Hey this is green!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, Emmett. It's watercress soup. And before you state the obvious, it's cold." I stated, sitting down at the table next to Edward, who seemed to have recovered from running down the stairs.

Emmett's face was a picture. His eyebrows had arched up as high as they could go and his eyes were almost popping out of they sockets. As everyone else around the table began to eat the soup, he tentatively tried a spoonful. He smacked his lips together and took another mouthful.

"Hey, Bella! This is really quite good. Watercress you said?" He looked over at me for confirmation.

"Yes, watercress. Very good for you." I replied. I quickly finished my soup and left the table to check on the main course. The pie was ready. Edward brought out all the empty bowls and spoons from the table and put them in the sink. He quickly returned to the table having seen what the main course was. I lowered the heat on the oven, so that the cherry crumble would not burn, and put the oven cloves back on to take the large fish pie out to the table and set it down on the trivets.

"Ooooh, Bella that smells lovely." Carlisle gushed. He smiled at me and motioned for me to sit down. I dutifully did.

Very little was said as we ate the pie. I was amazed at the concentration involved in eating a portion of fish pie!

Once I had finished eating, I went to finish the dessert. I took the cherry crumble from the oven to let it cool slightly. I added fresh vanilla to the Mascarpone cheese and gently folded it into the mixture and took the glass bowl out to the table, returning to the kitchen with the now empty pie dish. I carefully went back to the table with the dessert and set it down.

"Wow, Bella! That looks so good." Esme seemed very excited about the dessert. "Cherries are my favourite fruit. How did you know?" She added.

"I didn't, Esme. The cherries looked so good, I couldn't help but get some." I smiled over at her. "I hope you like it, Esme. Be careful though." I looked around the table now to make sure everyone heard me. "Cooked cherries hold the heat for quite a while. Unlike the soup, Emmett," I glanced over to him, "This is very hot!" Emmett just rolled his eyes at me.

We chatted easily and seemed to be quite happy to end the evening having our coffee at the table. I explained to Alice the phone call from Mr Newton. She was a little surprised that he had rung but agreed that it could work out to be a good arrangement.

Alice also told me that she would be giving me a list of people who had rung her enquiring about the wedding planning services that she offered.

"I'll bring home the file for you to look over tomorrow. You'll need to contact the people this week with prices and if they're happy, arrange meetings with them as soon as possible. Is that okay, Bella?" She asked, looking anxiously at my face.

"No problem, Alice. I'll look it over tomorrow evening and then make some calls Friday morning." I replied, smiling at her confidently.

Edward looked at me with a wide grin on his face. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Have I told you recently how wonderful you are and how much I love you, Bella?"

I sat fiddling with the ties of my apron, having noticed the grins on the faces around the table, resulting in a slight blush invading my cheeks. "Yes, but not in so many words and only a few hours ago, actually." I replied, surprised at just how brave I was to give that reply.

Emmett and Rosalie chuckled and looked at Edward. I stood up at this point, smiling sweetly at Edward and began to clear the table. He followed me out to the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on. As I loaded the dishwasher he stood behind me and snaked his arms around my waist following all of my movements. The loading took longer than usual as I was enjoying the close proximity of him just a little too much.

When the coffee was ready I pointed over to the other side of the kitchen to him. He nodded and got the tray ready and took it all into the dinning room. We sat down again to enjoy the final part of the evening with each other.

My day was coming to an end and Edward helped me to tidy the kitchen. We said goodnight to everyone and made our way upstairs.

As we snuggled up to each other, I whispered to Edward, "I think you are wonderful Edward and I love you, very much?"

He kissed my lips gently and held me close to his chest, humming my lullaby to me as I drifted off to sleep.

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note; **Umm, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know by reviewing. Alice is going to have her check up with the doctor in the next chapter. I will get some ideas together tomorrow, for the next chapter. Thanks for reading. Take care.


	29. Chapter 29

Authors note; Many thanks for the reviews of the last chapter and to everyone who read it. I have hopefully addressed one or two issues that have been brought to my attention from A-Liars-Choice, Jeffers, eclipse-me and shiloh92. So, please read and enjoy.

Beta reader; Many thanks as always NatalieRB for your help.

Disclaimer; I do not own Twilight. I just like to mess with the characters.

**COOK WANTED**

Thursday

With the morning rush of breakfast out of the way and Jessica arriving soon, I quickly tidied the kitchen and noted in the diary my thoughts for the evening meal. Edward was due to be at work for nine o'clock this evening. He would be working until late Saturday morning.

I heard the front door open and a cheerful voice greet me. "Good morning, Bella." Charlie stood at the kitchen doorway brandishing a manila envelope and a concertina file in his hand.

"Alice sent me over with these for you. She said that you needed to have these now as one of the potential clients rang today with an emergency. Apparently all the details are in the file. Alice said that she was sure you could salvage the situation." He looked at me apologetically.

I smiled at him. "Don't worry, Charlie, I won't shoot the messenger!" I assured him.

Charlie handed me the enveloped and the file and I set them to one side on the breakfast bar. "Do you have time for a coffee, Charlie?" I asked getting out a cup for him anyway.

"Oh, yes please I have about half an hour before I have to go across town to collect some supplies for Mrs Cullen." He said sitting down and making himself comfortable.

"So, how are things going for you, Bella? It looks like you're going to be kept busy." He commented, tapping the envelope and file.

"That may be an understatement Charlie. I've volunteered to help Alice as much as I possibly can. I'll try and do my best and not let her down. It'll take getting used to dealing with people face to face rather than worrying about cooking all day." I handed him his coffee and gestured toward to cream and sugar.

Charlie nodded thoughtfully in agreement. "You'll be just fine, Bella. I doubt that Alice would've taken you on if she didn't think you could handle the job." He said sincerely.

"Yep, I suppose you're right. All I need to do is convince myself." I stated, sitting down and perused the piece of paper I'd taken out of the envelope.

The list consisted of five people, with details of their requirements. These were typed up so were obviously pending. The name and details of the sixth client were hastily written down in pen. The only details for this client, was a surname and contact number. I pushed the piece of paper to one side and decided to wait until Charlie had gone before I acted on it.

Edward joined us in the kitchen, saying a friendly hello to Charlie and planting a chaste kiss on my forehead as he reached for the coffee pot and filled a cup for himself. We had become so comfortable with displays of affection in front of the family that Edward just acted on impulse and really didn't think about the fact that Charlie was in the same room. Charlie of course said nothing. He was a man who understood what the word discretion meant and lived by it everyday. This was probably why he had been such a loyal employee of the Cullens for such a long time.

Charlie shot me a slight look of surprise and then in the same breath, a small smile came to his lips. I'm sure he sensed how happy and relaxed Edward was.

Charlie finished his coffee and wished us well, saying that he would see us again on Sunday. I sat for a moment trying to work out what was special about this coming Sunday. _Mother's Day idiot!_ I'd have to organise some flowers to be delivered to my mother in good time before they made the trip to visit my grandmother.

"What's up, Bella?" Edward asked as I stared into my coffee cup trying to think of a florist shop close by to contact.

"It's Mother's Day this Sunday. I haven't arranged anything to send to my mom. Does Alice know of any good florists? Stupid question!" I reached for the file and scanned through it. "There should be something in this file." He looked at me and smiled knowingly.

"Ah here we are!" I said in triumph.

Edward pointed to the name. "I can recommend them. That's where I ordered your flowers from. Here let me." He said, taking out his phone from his jeans pocket and punching in the number.

"What are you doing Ed…" I began but he cut me off by putting his index finger against my lips.

"Hello? Yes, I'd like to place an order for a mixed…" (he raised his eyebrows at me as an unspoken question) I nodded. "Bunch please. My name is Edward Cullen. Please charge it to the Cullen account. I'll pass you over to Miss Swan who will give you the details. Thank you." He handed the phone to me. I looked at him for a moment wanting to object to this arrangement but realised that it would just be futile.

I gave the address and message to accompany the flowers to the Florist, who told me that the flowers would be sent out first thing Friday morning, from a florist shop in Phoenix. Perfect, as mom and dad would be on the road by Friday evening. I shut the phone and handed it back to Edward. He sat there with a grin on his face.

"See problem solved. Now you can relax. Right what else needs to be done this morning?" He reached forward from where he was sitting and took my hands in his and kissed my palms just at the moment when Jessica walked into the kitchen.

Edward didn't let go of my hands. I tried to act calm and cool. "Hi, Jessica. Would you like a coffee before you start?" I could feel my cheeks blush as she looked at my hands in his.

She seemed more embarrassed than I was. Edward just turned his head slightly towards her and gave a nod in her direction, "Morning Jessica." He said simply and immediately turned his focus back to me.

"Oh, Hi, Bella. Edward. Um, no thanks. I'll have one later on my lunch break. I'll go and make a start." She gave me an awkward smile, not looking at Edward and headed for the cupboard under the stairs. _There's nothing I can do about it now. The secret's out!_

I reached for the house phone to take my mind off Jessica and concentrate on more important matters. With Alice's list in front of me I dialled the number. "Good morning. Thompson residence." A man's voice answered at the other end.

"Good morning. My name is Miss Swan. I'm speaking on behalf of Mrs Whitlock. I'd like to speak to Mrs Thompson please.

"Yes, certainly, one moment please." There was silence for a minute.

"Hello, this is Mrs Thompson." Her voice was steady and business like.

"Hello, Mrs Thompson. My name is Miss Swan. Mrs Whitlock gave me your number. I understand you have a problem that you need help with?"

There was a deep intake of breath at the other end of the phone. Her voice changed from one that was in control to one of panic. "Oh, yes. Thank goodness you've called today! My daughter is getting married in four weeks time. The wedding cake is a complete disaster. My daughter hasn't stopped crying about for the last two days. Mrs Whitlock assured me that she would be able to get someone to save the day. I take it you are that person?"

"Yes, indeed, Mrs Thompson. What needs to be done?" I answered calmly.

"Well, we really need to get together and sort out what can be done in the time we have. Are you available tomorrow?" She seemed to find her business like tone again.

"Um, yes. I can be with you anytime after nine o'clock." I replied.

"Great! Nine o'clock it is." She proceeded to give me the address. I wrote it down putting a question mark next to the address. I showed Edward. He smiled and took the piece of paper and wrote. 'Charlie' in large letters underneath the question mark. I smiled.

"Right, I'll see you in the morning Mrs Thompson." And put the phone down.

I turned to Edward and flung my arms around his neck. "What would I do without you?"

"Oh, I think you would manage! You seemed to handle that well enough. Alice is going to be very impressed with you, my love." He replied, chuckling to himself.

He quickly wrote down Charlie's number and I rang it immediately. I arranged with Charlie for him to collect me and recited the details of the address. Apparently it was the other side of the city. He was only too happy to do this.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I turned my attention to tonight's meal. I was going to roast some chicken portions that I had already taken out of the freezer first thing in the morning and cook roasted vegetables as an accompaniment. The dessert was easy enough, mixed fruit parcels and for the starter, Asparagus drenched in tarragon butter.

"I need to get a few things for the meal. Would you like to accompany me to the shop?" I asked Edward, writing down a quick list.

"Indeed I would. I could do with getting some fresh air. How about we go and grab some lunch while we're out?" He asked, fetching our jackets from the hallway.

"Great idea! I'll leave Jessica a note for her to help herself to something from the fridge." I scribbled down a note and left it by the coffee pot.

Within minutes we were out of the door and walking toward the store. I chose the items I needed and chatted for a few minutes to the store owner. I made sure to thank him for his close attention to the quality of the orders I made and the speed at which they were delivered. _It helps to maintain a good relationship with those you rely on!_

With the shopping done, Edward took me to a small café a few blocks further down the road and we stopped and had a light lunch and shared a small bottle of wine.

About an hour later we made our way back to the house as it was time to prepare the evening meal. Jessica had left a note for me by the coffee pot.

'Bella, I just wanted to wish you all the best. You both look very happy. I'm spending the weekend with James again! Hope we can catch up on Tuesday. Jess.'

I smiled at the note. _She may the city's biggest gossip but she seems to have got over the shock. Maybe she won't tell anyone just yet! _

I set Edward to work by getting him to peel the vegetables and part boiling them ready for roasting. We chatted as we worked. He shared with me some of the funnier things that happened at work recently. It seemed to me that a lot of their spare time was devoted to playing jokes on each other, presumably to help ease the tension after the more demanding times of the job.

I placed the chicken in the oven to start cooking and prepared another roasting tin for the vegetables. I also took out the necessary ingredients to make a bread sauce. This I could make a little later. I made the pastry for the dessert and placed it in the fridge to keep cool and pealed and chopped the fruit and gently cooked it adding a little brown sugar and cinnamon for flavour. I then put the almost cooked fruit into a bowl to cool down.

We took a short break from cooking and Edward made two cups of tea and we sat down at the breakfast bar.

"Bella have you told your parents about us yet?" He asked, his eyes locked on mine, waiting for the answer.

"Yes I have." I replied. _I will have to chose my words carefully now._

"And?" He asked looking more anxious.

"Well, my mom got a little panicked about the idea of me dating you. She thinks it's going to make life complicated for me." I told him the truth. That was the only thing I could do.

"How so?" His look was more puzzled than annoyed.

"Well, I work for you. Her argument is that if things go wrong with us, then I would have to leave and look for a new job." I answered.

"What would go wrong with us?" He asked with a look of shock on his face.

"She is a realist, Edward. Things do go wrong in relationships, don't they?" His face seemed to relax at my words.

"Well, yes. But surely when you really love a person then any problems can be sorted out." He answered.

"She just thinks it's all a bit sudden, Edward. I'm their only child, remember. I'm still her little girl in her mind. I don't suppose she'll think I'm a grown up until I reach at least fifty and have brought up children of my own!" I chuckled.

"I can just imagine you with children, Bella. You'd make a wonderful mother." He said quietly and leaned forward kissing my mouth. I lost my train of thought for a moment as his scent swirled around my head. I shut my eyes and automatically held his face to mine to make the kiss last a little longer.

"When is it you're going to see your parents next?" He asked as he pulled away from me smiling.

"Um. Oh, next weekend." I replied, giving my head a little shake to bring me back to earth.

"That's a pity. I would have come with you but I have to work that weekend. I'll still ring you though." He said.

"You had better, mister. I can't stay away from you and not hear you voice at least once a day. I'll make it up to you when I get back, I promise." I answered looking up at him from beneath my lashes. _Oh, you are so naughty, Bella!_

"Umm, I like the sound of that. I just wish I didn't have to go to work tonight." He answered, taking my hand and kissing the palm gently. It made my spine tingle. _I wish you didn't have to go to work as well!_

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Edward. I'm already looking forward to Saturday." I noticed the time on his watch. I stood up and moved over to him and whispered in his ear. "In the meantime I need to get the dinner finished. Everyone will be home I one hour." He let out a long sigh and reluctantly let me go.

I washed and prepared the Asparagus and left them in the colander to drain and made the tarragon butter. I then checked on the chicken and vegetables. Both were cooking very well. It was time to make the bread sauce and the gravy. Edward stayed at the breakfast bar, watching me work. A sensible choice as I didn't need any distractions just at the moment.

I then carefully rolled out the pastry and cut a dozen squares and laid them out on two greased baking trays. As I was washing my hands, Alice and Jasper arrived home. They stood at the kitchen doorway, not saying a word. I looked over to Edward, wondering what to do next. He seemed a little lost as well. I quickly took my apron off and went over to Alice and gave her a hug.

"Is everything, okay, Alice? Jasper? One of you please say something!" I tried to keep my voice steady but was not having much success.

Edward by this time was standing behind me with his arms on my shoulders. "Come on, you two. How was the doctor's appointment?" He looked at Alice and then over to Jasper. They seemed to be in shock.

"Alice, please tell me. Is everything alright?" I asked anxiously, holding Alice's hands in mine.

She finally focused her eyes on mine and then over to Edward. "Yes, everything is fine." She replied in a monotone voice. "We're all okay." She added.

"Then, why the silence, Alice?" Edward sounded anxious by this time too.

"Well, it's… we're going to…" Alice suddenly stopped.

"Have twins!" Jasper finished Alice's sentence and turned to smile at us.

"Twins!" Edward and I exclaimed together.

Finally, Jasper and Alice smiled at each other. "Yes, twins." Alice repeated. "We're going to be having twins! It's going to be a boy and a girl. We just had to find out now!" She added. Jasper pulled Alice into his arms and tears of joy began to spill from his eyes.

I flung my arms around them both. "Congratulations! This is just wonderful! Come and sit down Alice." I said dragging them both to the couch. "I'll go and make you both a cup of tea." I couldn't imagine how shocked they felt. I knew that my own head was spinning from the news. I quickly made the tea, checking on the food before I took the cups out to them. Edward sat opposite them in a chair and pulled me onto his lap after I put the cups on the coffee table.

We all sat for a time just looking at each other and smiling. I heard the front door open and close and then deciphered that it was Esme and Carlisle that had arrived home. I quickly got up from Edward's lap and made my way to the hallway.

"Hi, Esme, Carlisle. You're needed in the lounge. Alice and Jasper are back from the Doctor's appointment. They have something to tell you." I instructed them. They headed for the lounge without any hesitation.

I went back to the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on and put the Asparagus under the grill to cook while I laid the table.

The lounge was still silent even though Esme and Carlisle had been given the news. It seemed that they were also in shock. I quickly told everyone that the starter would be ready in a few minutes. In silence they made their way to the table. Finally Rosalie and Emmett arrived home. I greeted them and gestured to the dinner table. They looked at me a little bemused but went and sat down.

As I finished plating up the starter and poured the tarragon butter into a dish, Alice announced the news to the family as a whole. This time it was just Rosalie and Emmett who were speechless. Everyone else had now had time to process the news and chatted animatedly about everything to do with the new additions to the family.

I placed the starter on the table and Esme began to serve each person. I took my plate away to indicate that I needed to be in the kitchen for a little while. I turned my attention to the dessert after placing all the roasted vegetables and chicken in serving dishes and placing them under the heat lamps along with the gravy and bread sauce, until everyone had finished their starters.

I quickly filled each square of puff pastry with the mixed fruit filling and brought together each corner of the pastry to make parcels. I brushed each parcel with a little milk and egg mixture and sprinkled a little sugar over them and let them rest while I cleared the dinning table. I took out the main course and left Esme to serve while I put the fruit parcels into oven. I had about twenty minutes before I needed to take the dessert out of the oven.

I returned to the table to eat with the family. Emmett and Rosalie had by this time recovered from the news. Every so often Emmett looked over to Alice and shook his head in disbelief. Finally I was able to tell Alice that I'd rung Mrs Thompson and arranged a meeting with her in the morning. She was happy that I had contacted her so promptly and wished me well with the meeting.

I took out some empty plates with me when I went to take out the dessert from the oven. I placed a scoop of ice cream and a fruit parcel in dish and took them out to the table, returning with the rest of the dirty plates and cutlery. The evening meal had now come to an end. I cleared the table and Edward put on a fresh pot of coffee before going upstairs to change and get ready to go to work. He had a quick cup of coffee and wished everyone a good night, giving Alice an extra kiss on the cheek.

I walked him to the door to say goodbye.

"I'll see you Saturday, Bella. I'll ring you tomorrow lunch time to see how the meeting went. I love you." We kissed and held each other tightly.

"I love you too, Edward. Take care." I said as he walked to his car and drove away.

Friday

The excitement of the news was still palpable in the house. Everyone had a smile on their faces. Nothing was going to spoil anyone's mood today. Alice reminded me to wear something 'suitable' for the meeting with Mrs Thompson and wished me well as she went to head off to the Boutique. We would all be staying at the city house this weekend as we were going out to eat at a Seattle restaurant for Mother's Day.

I made my way upstairs once the kitchen was tidy. I showered and picked out the clothes for the meeting. A navy pencil skirt that hugged my figure in all the right places, a crisp white blouse, not too low at the front and a pair of black shoes that I would definitely have to take care walking in. I dried my hair and platted it at the back and got dressed.

Charlie was already waiting for me in the kitchen when I made my way downstairs to collect the file and a note book and pen.

He smiled at me and gave me a nod of approval. "Are you ready, Bella? You're looking very business like. You'll be just fine today." He reassured me and led me to the car.

We arrived at the house just a little before nine o'clock. Charlie opened the passenger door for me. The front door opened as I walked up the steps and I was greeted by the maid. She ushered me into the lounge and went to announce my arrival to Mrs Thompson. I set the file on the coffee table and walked toward the French doors at the other end of the room. The garden was immaculate and very colourful. No doubt it had been used for many parties and gatherings over the years.

Mrs Thompson entered the room. "Ah, Miss Swan!" She walked over to me and shook my hand vigorously. "You don't know how relieved I am that you're here. You were highly recommend to me by Mrs Whitlock. She assured me that you would be able to save the day!" She gestured for me to sit on the couch.

She wore a beautiful Chanel suit in black and white, with Chanel earrings and necklace. Her hair was styled in the latest bob cut and a lovely soft honey colour. I had trouble imagining her in a kitchen up to her elbows in flour. Everything about her shouted 'business woman' right down to her sharp blue eyes as they scanned over my outfit.

She began to talk about the disastrous wedding cake that would now be 'destined for the city dump'. I wrote down notes of what the requirements were.

"I trust this will not be a problem for you, Miss Swan?" She asked as if it were a challenge. She handed over a picture of the cake that was required.

I looked at the picture. _No problem. This will be so easy._ "No, not at all. I'll contact the bakery this morning and place the order for a new cake. As it's a sponge cake, it will certainly be ready for you two days before the wedding. Would you like me arrange the delivery or will your wedding planner be collecting it?" I asked and waited for the answer.

Mrs Thompson seemed to hesitate. "I'll have to get back to you about that. The previous wedding planner is no longer doing the job for us. I'm waiting for the new wedding planner to contact me this morning so that we can meet up to finalise things." She answered, smiling at me. "Well, thank you so much for contacting me so quickly. You really have put my mind at ease about the cake." She added, reaching out her hand for me to shake. The meeting was over.

Once the front door was closed behind me I took in a deep breath. Charlie opened the car door for me and I sat for a moment wondering what would be the next best move.

I rang the bakery and Mr Newton answered. "Hello, it's Miss Swan speaking. I wondered if it would be okay for me drop by, if you're not too busy. I have an order for a wedding cake and would like to discuss the details with you."

"That's absolutely fine. I'll see you shortly." He answered.

"Charlie, would you take me over to the Newton Bakery? I don't think I'll be very long. Are you able to wait for me?" I asked hoping the answer would be yes.

"I'm all yours today, Bella, so to speak. You take as long as you like." He answered setting the car in motion. We arrived at the bakery some twenty minutes later. Mr Newton greeted me as the car pulled up in the car park. He opened the car door for me and led me to his office.

"It's good to see you, Miss Swan. Now how can I help?" He gestured for me to take a seat as he sat behind his desk. I gave him the details of the cake and showed him the picture. "No problem, I'll get David onto this first thing Monday morning. How long do you think it will take for you to decorate?" he added.

"I can make a start on the flowers in my own kitchen, so I suppose I'll need, say two days maybe three, to add them to the cake and do the finishing touches. If the cake is already iced, oh, fondant icing please, that will save me a lot of time." I looked up from my notes and waited for a reply.

Mr Newton seemed to be staring at me. I looked at him. "Mr Newton?" I asked breaking him out of his revere.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Swan" He gave me a small smile. "Yes. The cake will be ready for you to finish in three and a half weeks time. "If you need to use any facilities here in the meantime please don't hesitate to ask. I'll keep in contact, Miss Swan. It's a pleasure doing business with you." He stood up and made his way around his desk, holding out his hand to shake mine.

"Thank you Mr Newton." I said, as I shook his hand.

"Please, call me Mike. It looks like we'll be working together on a few more projects from what I can tell about your capabilities. I'm sure at lot of orders are going to come your way when Mrs Thompson let's her circle of friends know how talented you are." He smiled, putting me at ease. I hadn't noticed before but he actually had a very warm smile. His blue eyes sparkled as he spoke. I noticed that he raked his fingers through his short blonde hair a few times when he spoke to me. I suspected that he might be a little nervous in my company but was not sure why.

"Okay, Mike. Please call me Bella." I replied. "I'd better go now and let Mrs Whitlock know about the arrangements, just to keep her up-to-date." I added.

"Yes, of course, Bella. I'll speak to you soon." He finally released my hand. I collected up my file and note pad and Mike showed me to the entrance door. He stood and watched as Charlie held the car door for me. Mike gave me a small wave as I settled myself in the back seat and he made his way back into the building.

"Would you take me to the Boutique please, Charlie? I need to let Alice know about the meetings this morning." I asked.

"Of course, Bella! She'll be very pleased to see you, I'm sure." He replied and set the car in motion. Some time later we arrived at the Boutique. Charlie helped me out of the car and I made my way in to see Alice. She was busy helping a customer decided on a dress. By the look on Alice's face she had had enough. She quickly looked over to me and smiled. She nodded to Heidi in some secret unspoken code and Heidi immediately brought over a cup of coffee for me and motioned for me to sit down.

Five minutes later and my coffee finished, Alice was finally handing the chosen dress to Terri for her to wrap up.

Alice walked over to me and sat down on the chair next to me. "I'm so glad to see you Bella. It's been such a long day so far. No-one seems to know what they want and they won't take my advice. Can you imagine how frustrating that is for me, Bella?" She looked at me and sighed.

"Yes, Alice I think I can. You don't have to work in the shop all day today do you? Don't forget you're going out tonight." I stated.

"You're right! I don't have to be here. The girls are quite capable of handling things on their own this afternoon and locking up later. I'll go and tell them that I'm taking the rest of the day off. You can help me to get ready for this meal tonight. It'll be good to spend some time together." She said and went to talk to Terri and Heidi and then collected her purse and jacket from the back room. She walked back over to me and linked her arm in mine as we walked out to the car. Charlie was holding open the back door. "Hi, Charlie! Can you please take us home?" Charlie nodded.

Not half an hour later we were home and sitting at the breakfast bar. I made us a cup of tea and a couple of sandwiches. I told Alice about the meetings in the morning and she congratulated me on the way I handled things. "I just knew you were the right person for this job. Mrs Thompson has quite a large social circle. I know mom has worked on her country house a couple of times. She has good connections. Your cakes will be famous in no time in Seattle, Bella." She said confidently, patting my knee.

I helped Alice decided on the outfit for the evening, not that I actually thought she needed my help. I think she was trying to teach me how to dress for different occasions.

"What are you going to wear on Sunday, Bella?" She asked. "You know that either dress would be perfect for the occasion, don't you?" She added with a knowing smile.

"Don't worry Alice, I can't go wrong. You chose both of them for me, remember?" I chuckled.

With her outfit chosen, she disappeared to the bathroom for some 'Alice pampering time'.

My phone rang. I kicked my shoes off and ran down to the kitchen. I picked it up just in time. It was Edward. "Hi, how did things go this morning? A success I take it?"

"Hi, Edward, yes, a complete success. Everyone is happy and apparently it may mean that I will have more work in the future. So, how are things with you?" I asked.

"It's quiet. The ICU is full but under control. I miss you, Bella." He said in almost a whisper.

"Oh, Edward, I miss you too. You'll be home tomorrow and I'll be waiting for you." I sighed down the phone.

"Umm. I'd better go now before I embarrass myself. Sleep well tonight, Bella. I love you." He said in his sexy voice.

"'Bye, Edward. I hope you get some sleep today. I love you too." I replied. I shut my phone placing it back on the counter top.

I walked over to the lounge and got comfortable on the couch and watched a little television until Alice came downstairs looking absolutely radiant. She joined me on the couch and we chatted easily until Jasper arrived home, followed by the rest of the family. Soon Jasper was ready and he and Alice left to go to dinner.

Esme and Carlisle insisted on taking me with them to dinner at their usual restaurant. I wasn't able to put up much of an argument when they said that they had already booked an extra seat. We all made our way to our respective bedrooms to get changed for the evening.

I took advantage of the fact that I had two very pretty dresses that needed to be worn. I picked out the purple, ditsy print dress and took my hair out of the plait, brushing through it to let it fall in large waves. I put on a little makeup and put on the shoes that I had worn today. They seemed to go quite well with the dress and were actually becoming quite comfortable. I made my way downstairs carefully. Carlisle kindly said how pretty I looked and that Edward had made a very good choice. I blushed furiously for the first time in days. _Just when I thought I had it under control! _Everyone seemed to be highly amused.

We went to the restaurant in Carlisle's car with the ladies seated on the back seat.

I was slightly in awe of the amount of people I was introduced to. The restaurant seemed to be much more of a social networking club than a place to eat. The food was really good, as I had expected. I asked the waiter a couple of questions about one of the dishes and discovered that the vegetables had been ordered from the same grocery shop that I got my supplies from.

Three hours later we were back home and making our way up to bed. I undressed and spread myself out in Edward's bed imagining him lying next to me. There was less than twenty four hours left before he would be home again.

End of Chapter

Authors note; So, Now you've read it please review. I will update as soon as possible. In the meantime take care!


	30. Chapter 30

**Authors note; **Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. I hope I managed to reply to all of you. If not, sorry, I will try to do better next time. In this chapter Saturday has arrived and Rosalie decides that it's time for Bella to let her hair down, literally. Read and enjoy (I know you are because I can hardly believe the amounts of hits on this story) and don't forget to review please!

**Beta reader;** Many thanks NatalieRB for your help.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I do own this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

I woke up this morning pleased that it was not to the sound of the alarm. I looked over to check the time. It was 8.30. As yet I couldn't tell if anyone was up. I spread myself out again across the bed filling the gap where Edward should have been last night. I smiled at the thought of him coming home today. He'd be able to take things easy today and catch up on a little rest. _He may well need it._

I dragged myself to the bathroom feeling a little light-headed from the previous evening. _I will definitely have to pace the amount of wine I drink. I lost count as to how many bottles we managed to get through at our table. Celebrating the news of the twins certainly put us in the party mood!_

I washed and brushed my teeth, feeling a little more refreshed and brushed through my hair that seemed to be a bit of a haystack this morning. I threw on my usual jeans and t-shirt and made my way downstairs. Alice was in the kitchen sitting at the breakfast bar. She looked a little green this morning, obviously recovering from a bout of sickness. She sipped at the glass of water in front of her.

I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Not feeling too good this morning, then?" I asked looking at her sympathetically. I grabbed an apron from the drawer and secured it around my waist.

"No, not good at all." She moaned, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Let me make you a cup of ginger tea. It's very good for morning sickness, you know?" I clicked the kettle on and reached up for the ginger tea bags in the store cupboard.

"How do you know all these things, Bella? You just seem to be good at everything." Alice stated letting out a deep sigh.

"Oh, Alice I don't know everything. I certainly don't know anything about clothes or shoes or bags or makeup." I retorted, looking over to Alice smiling.

"Bella, those things aren't always the important things to know in life. How on earth am I going to cope with twins, Bella. I don't know the first thing about children let alone babies!" She sounded lost and tears were welling in her eyes.

"Alice, calm down. You will be absolutely fine. Once the babies are in your arms, the mothering instinct with just kick in. Besides you have your mom right here with you in the same house and a wonderful husband and a ready made baby sitting service! You'll be fine, just fine." I said pouring the hot water over the tea bag to let it infuse. I turned to Alice and gave her a hug as the tears began to roll down her cheeks.

I pulled out a clean tissue from my jeans pocket and wiped away Alice's tears, stroking her shoulder to try and reassure her.

"Why is my beautiful wife cryin' first thing in the mornin'?" Jasper asked as he entered the kitchen. He sat down on the barstool next to Alice, reaching for her hands.

Alice just sniffed in reply.

"I've been telling Alice that everything is going to be just fine. She will be a wonderful mother." I said, putting together some fruit in a bowl for Alice to eat.

I returned to the ginger tea and took out the tea bag. It was ready.

"Here drink this, Alice. It's cooled down a bit so you can start to drink it and you'll feel the benefit in no time." I passed the cup to her.

She looked at it for a moment sniffing the aroma. Her eyebrows shot up in a look of surprise. She took a sip and smiled. "Umm, that's nice, Bella. Thank you." She said taking another sip.

"You're welcome, Alice. Anytime. Here take this bowl of fruit and go and sit at the table. The smell of breakfast cooking might not be the best for you first thing this morning." Jasper took the bowl from my hand and took Alice's hand and led her to the table. They sat down, talking quietly. Alice seemed to look a lot better by this time. All she need was little love and attention, especially from Jasper. His calming influence worked wonders!

I put the coffee pot on as the rest of the family made their way downstairs. Emmett was a little quieter than usual. Too much wine no doubt! I found some headache tablets in the drawer and took them out to him with a glass of water. I placed them in front of his hands, his weary head resting on them.

"Thanks, Bella. What would we do without you?" He said looking up at me with a small grin on his face, only one dimple making an appearance this morning.

Rosalie rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders earning her a grateful growl from her husband.

Esme followed me into the kitchen. "I don't know about you my dear, but I'll just have some toast and honey this morning." She said and looked into the dinning room to see everyone nodding their heads in agreement. "Looks like toast and honey all round, Bella. Thank you."

I set to work making toast, setting the table with various jams and the honey pot.

I plated up the toast stack and took it out to the table with the coffee pot. We chatted about the previous evening and Alice shared with the family the successful meetings that I had on the Friday morning. Esme beamed at me. She explained that Mrs Thompson was quite a hard customer to keep happy. It seemed that I had already made an impression on her simply by the reaction she had given me. Esme knew Mrs Thompson, Diane, very well and agreed that, with a beautiful cake presented at the wedding in four weeks, my name would become as well known in Seattle as the rain was.

Without any particular plans arranged for the rest of the day, everyone chatted about what they would like to do. Alice and Jasper decided to just relax at home today, Esme and Carlisle made plans to visit a special exhibition at a museum.

Rosalie looked over to me expectantly. "Bella, how about the four of us go out tonight? Emmett and I have been talking about going to this new club that's only recently opened. We don't often stay in the city to take in the night life. What do you say, Bella?"

"I'm not sure." I mused. The whole idea filled me with dread. "I'm not too good with dancing. Edward might be too tired to go. Can I get back to you on that one?" I finally asked, secretly hoping that Edward would be too tired.

"Okay, Bella. There's plenty of time to work it out. Emmett and I'll go anyway, hey Em?" She purred at Emmett. How could he refuse?!

"Sure, Rose. I'll be fine in an hour or two. It'd be great to go and let our hair down." He looked at her and smirked.

I cleared the table and tidied the kitchen and went up to my rooms to sit for a while and read. Edward wasn't due home just yet and if by some chance he did want to go out tonight I thought it best to rest my feet now while I could. I made the fatal mistake of lying down on the couch. After reading a couple of pages, my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep.

A knock at my door jolted me awake. I looked around me quickly, feeling disorientated, I rubbed my eyes. There was another knock at the door.

"Come in!" I called in a sleepy voice.

The door opened carefully and Edward's face peered around the half open door. A smile came to his lips when he saw me. I stood up a little too quickly to go and greet him. I felt the blood rush to my head making me light-headed and uneasy on my feet.

I shut my eyes for a moment. Edward rushed in to be by my side. He put his strong arm around my waist, stopping me from falling over.

"Are you alright, Bella?" He tone was filled with concern.

"Yes, I will be. I think I stood up a little too fast. I'll just sit down again for a moment." He helped me to sit back on the couch and crouched down in front of me.

I opened my eyes as the room stopped spinning. There he was, my Edward. He was smiling again as he looked into my face.

"I don't think my body is used to having naps in the afternoons." I said, smiling.

"Well you obviously needed it. The colour is coming back to your cheeks again." He stated in full doctor mode.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen for that observation. What time is it?" I looked around the room forgetting that the only clock I had up here was in the bedroom.

"It's three o'clock. I got held up at work with a last minute emergency." He got up and sat beside me placing his arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward him. He lent back in the couch and I rested my head on his chest. "So, what have we got planned for the rest of the day?"

"Well." I began. "Alice and Jasper are going to relax here. Your mom and dad have gone to check out an exhibition and Rosalie and Emmett plan to go to a new club tonight." Before I could add anything else to my sentence, Edward spoke.

"Hey, that sounds like a great idea! Going out tonight I mean. How about we go with them?" I tilted my head back to see his face light up with the idea of going out. I inwardly cringed at the thought of dancing.

"Yeah, Rosalie had already asked me if we wanted to go. I thought I'd wait till you got home to see what you wanted to do. Looks like we're going out then!" I tried not to sound too despondent.

"You're not worried about being seen in town with me are you?" He sounded a little hurt. _Or was he just pretending!_

"No, not at all. It's you who should be concerned about being seen with me!" I said light heartedly.

"Oh, silly Bella. You are beautiful. I might have to act as your bodyguard." He said smiling. "I don't mind guarding your body all night. It will be a great pleasure." He said with a large grin on his face reminding me of Emmett when he gives Rosalie a certain look_. Brothers!_

"Let's go downstairs and see if we can find them and tell them that we're joining them." He was definitely in a good mood today.

He took hold of my hand and led me downstairs to the lounge where we found Rosalie and Emmett playing on the Xbox. Rosalie seemed to be holding her own as she punched the air, having just killed Emmett's character. The score was level. Emmett was very quiet. He was concentrating hard, perched on the edge of the sofa.

Edward almost interrupted their game to speak. I reached out and grabbed his arm and shook my head at him. He smiled in response and mouthed "Okay." to me.

We stood quietly and watched. The suspense was almost too much until finally Rosalie shouted out in victory as she won the game. She jumped up from the couch, punching the air again. "Yes, yes, yes!" She shouted.

Emmett slumped back into the couch chucking the controller onto the coffee table, defeated and deflated, in front of him. He folded his arms across his chest and huffed. _I may have to give him some pointers sometime._

Rosalie turned looking down at her husband, reached over to him and planted a huge kiss on his lips. "Never mind darling! I still love you! You're very good at other things. The Xbox isn't that important!" She caught sight of us standing in the lounge. "Hey Edward, how was work?" She said happily, still on her winning high.

"Not too bad, thanks Rose. Hey, Bella tells me that you're going out later to a new night club. We would love to go, wouldn't we, Bella?" He turned looking at me with a huge smile on his face. _Wow is he happy today or what?_

"Great, Edward! Right, Bella and I had better start getting ready. Come on, Bella you need to show me what you've got in your wardrobe so we can put something together for tonight." She said moving swiftly around Edward, grabbing my hand the leading me towards the stairs. I had no choice but to follow. I looked around at Edward. He was making his way around the coffee table to sit next to Emmett and start a new game. _Poor Emmett!_

Rosalie made her way up to my bedroom with me in tow. Without any hesitation she opened the wardrobe and stood looking at the contents.

"Humph. Bella, we really need to get more clothes for you. Anyway what have we got here?" She pulled out a pair of black, skinny jeans. "These will do for a start." She mused.

She looked at the blouses hanging up. "None of these are very…sexy are they? I'll go and see what Alice has got for you to borrow. She turned on her high heels and headed out of the door before I could say anything in protest. I stood there staring at my clothes_. I think they're really nice! What on earth is she going to have me wear?_

Rosalie returned with three different coloured tops over her arm. "Here we are! Right let's see what they look like against you, before you try them on." She held up the first top. It was a blue halter neck with very pretty beading intricately sewn on the front. I held it to me looking in the full length mirror on the wardrobe door.

"Hey, I like that, Bella. That colour is good on you. You seem to like it, am I right?"

I nodded and smiled at my reflection. She held the jeans up to my waist. "Yes this looks good. What shoes have you got, Bella?" She added.

I put the clothes on the bed and went over to the corner of the room to the stack of boxes. I pulled out one box. They were a pair of black, strap shoes with quite a high heel. _Well, high for me anyway!_

"These are really lovely, Bella. You know what? I think we have got an outfit for you! Now go take a shower and then we can do something with your hair. I'll leave you to it. I'll be back in half an hour, okay?"

I nodded. _She is more bossy than Alice. I daren't say no to Rosalie! She's in such a good mood I don't want to spoil it!_

I had my shower and combed out my hair making sure that all the tangles were out. I quickly tied my robe around me and sat on the bed waiting for Rosalie to come back.

I didn't have long to wait. She entered the room with a bag of various items of torture!

She started with my hair, putting a 'product' into it and then drying it. She then set about using the curling irons, creating large bouncy curls. _This girl is good!_ I watched her work in the reflection of the wardrobe mirror. It was second nature to Rosalie to be able to primp and preen. I still had difficulty in imagining her under a car getting oil and grease on her.

She stood back to admire her handy work. "That looks lovely, Bella. Your hair is a dream to work with." She turned her attention to the makeup palette she set out in front of me on the bed.

She perused the colours and decided to go for 'sexy eyes'. _Whatever they were?_ Well, once she had finished I understood. _Wow!_ At first it didn't look like me at all. But then as I looked at my reflection again I could see that she had enhanced me very well.

"Edward is going to be knocked out by the way you're going to look tonight. He won't be able to keep his eyes off you."

I sat there a little lost for words. "Thanks Rosalie." I said finally.

She turned my head towards her again and finished the look with blood red lips.

At first my eyes opened wide when I saw the lipstick she had chosen but then I realised that she was the expert and that I should keep my mouth shut and let her make me look gorgeous. She blotted the excess colour from my lips and applied a second coat.

"There, Bella. What d'you think? Hot damn sexy, that's what I say!" She winked at me and began to pack away the items of torture.

I looked at my reflection. _Yes, hot damn sexy could be a description for me. As long as Edward never wanted to leave my side tonight, that was good enough for me._

"I'll go down and get myself sorted now, Bella. You get dressed and don't smudge the makeup. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am." I replied giving her a mock salute.

She smiled at me and left the room.

I carefully got dressed. I felt a little self conscious putting on the halter neck top. The back was cut very low and therefore a bra was out of the question. I turned to look at the back view as best I could. The overall effect was good. I put on my shoes and secured them. Re-arranging my hair slightly I looked at myself up and down. _Where has this Bella Swan been hiding all these years?_ In less than an hour, Rosalie had transformed me. The ugly duckling had gone. The swan had arrived!

I picked up my purse and carefully walked down the stairs. As I reached the bottom of the stairs I heard a gasp from the lounge.

"Hey Bella!" A familiar voice greeted me. "Wow you really are a goddess!" He said as he stood up from the couch.

"Thanks Emmett." I replied the colour rushing to my cheeks. "Rosalie is very good at makeovers don't you think?"

"Sure is. To think that was under that apron all the time!" He continued causing me to blush even more.

"Hey, Emmett. Eyes off my girl!" A more familiar voice shouted from the stairs behind me.

I turned sharply. Edward had changed and was looking amazing! My mouth hung open a little in awe of how good he looked. He wore a pair of black jeans and a white shirt with black piping on the edges of the collar, cuffs and front panel. His hair was still damp from the shower but was a little more under control than usual. _That won't last long!_

He stood still for a moment looking at me. "You know, we don't have to go out if you don't want to, Bella." The grin I loved appeared across his face. I shivered slightly, goose bumps appearing on my flesh. I was sure I could feel them appear one by one.

"Now you tell me after all the effort Rosalie has put into me to get me ready. We are going out and I'm sticking to you like glue. You look so gorgeous Edward!"

He continued to walk towards me and wrapped his arms around me and planted a chaste kiss on my forehead. He stepped back slightly, still holding me and looked into my face. "Umm, those lips look a bit lethal. I think I will have to be your bodyguard tonight." I looked up into his eyes wishing everything around us to just disappear. I was lost for a moment and didn't realise that Rosalie was now with us in the room.

"Hey, you two. There's plenty of time for that later. Let's go." She was wearing a very short red dress, designer no doubt. Her hair was set up in a messy ponytail with ringlets framing her face. She finished the look off with a pair of extremely high, red heels. She looked amazing! Reaching out for Emmett's hand, she led the way down the hallway.

"We're going for something to eat and then off to the club. Come on Bella! Get your pretty little ass out here!" Rosalie called from the front door.

We followed them out. A cab was already waiting for us. We piled in. I was wedged between Edward and Rosalie with Emmett sitting up front. I rested my head on Edward's shoulder as he rubbed circles with his thumb on my thigh. His touch was going to drive me crazy tonight! I sighed and shut my eyes to enjoy this tender moment between us fully.

We arrived at a small restaurant that obviously the younger Cullens used a lot. Emmett, Rosalie and Edward were greeted warmly. The manager smiled at me.

He seated us at a table where they usually sat.

Edward turned to me. "They do great food here. I haven't been in a while but I'm sure they are still just as good as the last time I came." His eyes sparkled in the dimly lit room. He really was in a very good mood.

With our orders taken, our drinks were served. After the night before I stuck with water for the time being. I didn't think that my system would be able to take too much in one go tonight.

We laughed and joked as we ate our meal. Nothing too heavy but enough to prepare our stomachs for the night ahead.

Once the bill was paid we left the restaurant and managed to find another taxi to take us to the club. We arrived only a short time later. We could hear the music from the street. With the general good mood that everyone was in, I felt glad that I hadn't passed this opportunity up.

We entered the club and carefully made out way down a set of stairs. It was already fairly dark so I held on tightly to Edward's hand. Once we reached the bottom of the stairs the room opened up. It was large with a dancing area and a bar on one side. The bar itself was brightly lit with large mirrors on the back wall. They made the room look twice as big, reflecting the different coloured lighting. Over the other side of the room was a mezzanine floor with a large staircase leading up to it. On the mezzanine floor were tables and comfy seats set out. There were barstools and tall tables set out to one side of the dance floor. A large chandelier hung from the high ceiling reflecting light in all directions. There was already quite a large amount of people at the bar and on the dance floor. Emmett led us up to the mezzanine floor to find a table. It wasn't very busy so we found an area quickly and Rosalie and I settled down in the comfy chairs. Emmett and Edward made their way back downstairs to order drinks.

Rosalie leaned forward in her seat. "So, Bella. Are you glad you came?" I nodded.

"Good, so relax! I'll be dragging you down there to dance a little later." She said pointing at the dance floor. I smiled at her weakly. The thought of it was making my stomach churn.

Emmett and Edward returned to us with a waitress in tow carrying a tray of drinks. She set our drinks on the table. We settled down, Edward pulling me over to sit on his lap. I wrapped my arm around his neck, leaning into his shoulder. He ran his fingers through my hair as he talked to Emmett and shared a joke with Rosalie. The lighting grew dimmer as the club began to fill up. The music was turned up. I could feel the bass of the music vibrate through the floor.

Edward nuzzled my hair and squeezed my thigh, making me wish that we were home alone. He was driving me mad. I seemed to have been more affected by our temporary separation than he was. I raked my fingers through his hair relishing how soft it felt between my fingers.

Rosalie suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me out of Edward's lap. "You have plenty of time for that when we get home, Bella. Now come with me and let's get down there and dance!" I reluctantly let her lead me down the stairs. Edward just smiled at my pleading eyes. He seemed to find it quite amusing.

We reached the dance floor in one piece. Rosalie, still holding onto my hand snaked her way through the crowd. She stopped when she decided that she had found the ideal place to dance. A couple of men, immediately seeing her begin to dance, stood back and watched, mesmerized. It was funny to see there jaws drop at the sight of Rosalie's gyrating hips. I basically copied what Rosalie was doing and found that it was getting easier the more I relaxed.

I suddenly felt a pair of arms snake around my waist. It could only be one person.

Only his touch could send a tingle down my spine and make my cheeks flush as they were right now. I turned in his arms looking up at him from under my lashes. Resting my hands on his chest I felt a low rumble resound in him. He leaned down to my face and gently kissed my lips, his scent swirling around my face. I shut my eyes and felt his heart rate increase. I was beginning to react to his closeness and so was he. We stayed there swaying to the music for a little longer, regaining our composure. Emmett's booming laughter pulled us out of our moment.

I turned to see what was so funny. Emmett had obviously scared off some poor unsuspecting men who no doubt were paying too much attention to Rosalie. She motioned for me to follow her to the toilets. Edward and Emmett signalled that they were going back to our table.

Standing in front of the large mirror, I washed my hands to cool then down. We re-applied our lipstick and Rosalie re-organised her hair. She froze for a moment looking over her shoulder in the reflection of the mirror. I looked at her but she didn't react.

"So, Rose. How are you these days?" A rather unpleasant voice came from behind her. I kept my focus on the mirror, glancing over at Rosalie. I didn't know the woman at all but obviously Rosalie did.

"Fine thanks." Rosalie answered, sharply.

"And how is Edward?" Hearing his name my head snapped up.

I stepped back from the mirror slightly and got a glimpse of the woman in my peripheral vision. Her shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair was the first noticeable thing about her. She was my height and wore a black wrap-over dress. I couldn't deny that she was pretty from this angle. But her voice was filled with malice and sarcasm.

"I don't think that is anything you should be concerned with, do you, Tanya." Rosalie retorted keeping her gaze on the woman behind her. My instincts were right. This was once Rosalie's friend and Edward's fiancée. But she was not anymore. Either of those things.

"Still moping is he?" She ignored Rosalie's statement. I felt my hands ball up into fists.

"Actually, no! His is doing just fine!" Tanya's eyes hardened at Rosalie's words. "Why don't you just go and flutter your eyelashes at some other poor unsuspecting man. We all know it's what you do best."

A smile came to my lips at Rosalie's words. Tanya shot me a look. "What the hell are you smiling at?" Rosalie had just hit a nerve!

"Nothing." I replied.

Rosalie turned on her heel and faced Tanya. "I'm bored with this conversation. Bella, come on, let's go. Emmett and Edward will wonder where we've got to." She literally stuck her nose in the air, flicking her hair in Tanya's direction, turned to me, hooking her arm through mine and marched me out of the room. Tanya was left gawking at our backs in disbelief. As we walked down the hallway back to the dance floor, Rosalie burst out laughing.

"Boy, that felt good. I never did get the chance to let her know how I really felt about what she did to Edward. She was too much of a coward to face me then." She composed herself and gave me a hug. "Come on, let's get back to the men. I'm looking forward to telling them that I finally put her in her place." She added in a victorious voice.

We weaved our way through the crowd again and went up to our table. Rosalie plopped herself down next to Emmett and planted a big kiss on his mouth.

"I need a drink Em. Make it a double." His eyes widened and then narrowed, looking at her intently. He managed to catch the waitress's eye and ordered another round of drinks not forgetting the double for Rosalie.

She lent forward and began reciting the story. Emmett boomed with laughter and a broad grin appeared on Edward's face. He pulled me onto his lap again and hugged me close. "What I wouldn't give to be able to listen through walls! Thanks Rosalie."

"Actually I'm really proud of Bella! She stood there and listened to it all and didn't move a muscle. When that woman asked what she was looking at she very coolly said 'Nothing'! You should have seen her face. Well done, Bella. We make a good team."

She put her hand up for a high five. I responded without hesitation.

We sat for a little longer finishing our drinks and decided that we'd had enough entertainment for one night. Emmett led us back downstairs and out into the fresh air.

He managed to flag down a taxi.

When we got home I went into the kitchen and put the coffee pot on. It was gone eleven o'clock, everyone else was in bed. We kept our voices down so as not to disturb the sleeping family. When the coffee was ready I poured it straight out into the cups in the kitchen and we took them into the lounge and sat for a while chatting about the evening. We had enjoyed ourselves and promised that we would do it again another time. I took the empty cups to the kitchen. Rosalie followed me out and gave me a hug goodnight.

"It's fun having you around, Bella. You really are good for Edward. Thanks for everything that you do for us." She said smiling.

"Thank you Rosalie for a great evening. I really did enjoy myself. It was…fun!" I let out a small chuckle and hugged Rosalie back.

She smiled at me and turned to meet Emmett at the bottom of the stairs. They held hands as they made their way up to their room.

Edward came into the kitchen and took my hand. "All finished in here?" I nodded.

"Good." He said and switched off the kitchen light as he led me up the stairs. We reached his bedroom door and he pulled me inside.

"Now then," He began, reaching down to cup my face. "Let's just see how lethal these lips are, shall we?" His eyes were dark green and dangerous. I closed my eyes as his mouth crashed onto mine. I reached up to his hair trailing my fingers through it. _Oh, yes it was going to get messed up tonight!_

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note;** So, let me know if you liked this chapter or not be reviewing please. I will post the next chapter asap. The next day is Mother's Day. The whole family go out together! Take care.


	31. Chapter 31

**Authors note;** Many thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I was so pleased with the positive words from you. I have rewarded you all by writing this chapter and publishing it in just one day. I can't seem to stop the words from flowing, you make me so happy. Oh, and did I mention the LEMON? Enjoy.

**Beta reader;** Thank you NatalieRB. You are a lovely daughter. (No she didn't read this chapter!)

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I am grateful that the characters are there to be played with.

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday – Mother's Day

I woke up gradually this morning. I opened one eye and then slowly opened the other. My body slowly came to. The only part of me that noticeably ached, were my feet. _High heels! Who on earth invented them. It must have been a man!_

I stretched my arms above me and felt Edward shift at my side. He rolled over and opened one eye.

"Good morning, sleepy head." I said quietly.

"Morning my love. How are you feeling this lovely Sunday morning?" He asked, snaking his arm around my torso.

"Umm, good thanks. My feet hurt a little, but I'll survive." I answered.

Faster than a speeding bullet he got out of bed and moved the covers from my feet and began to massage them. He took me by surprise. I began to giggle as he rubbed his thumbs into the balls of my feet.

"Ticklish are we?" He asked, smiling.

"Only when I'm not expecting it!" I answered taking a deep breath and calming myself.

He slowed down the rubbing motion. I shut my eyes to fully enjoy the sensation of the aches ebbing away.

"Umm, that's much better. I have a feeling I'm going too be wearing high heels again today. I doubt if Alice or Rosalie will let me wear flats in a dress!" I mused as his hands slowly made their way up from my feet to my ankles.

He gently massaged them and then slowly his hands moved to my calf muscles. After a few minutes they grazed the backs of my knees, I jerked my legs a fraction.

"Umm, sensitive just there." He stated with a small chuckle. "And of course you're very sensitive just here." He added as his hands traced along my thighs.

I smiled to myself, relishing the sensations building in me right this minute. He grazed his mouth from the top of one thigh to the other, kissing gently his breath fanning my flesh. I could feel my core getting warmer and start to pulsate. I noted that my body was now reacting to him so instantaneously every time we made love. My breasts were warm, my nipples hard. _He hasn't even touched them yet!_ My stomach twitched causing more pulsating sensations as he began to lick the insides of my thighs. I instinctively opened my legs allowing him access to my very wet folds.

"Umm, Bella." He mumbled pulling back the covers. "You smell heavenly." He reached back down with his tongue licking me again and again. I bucked my hips at him. All rational thoughts had now vacated my head as he licked at my most sensitive and highly aroused, bundle of nerves.

My breath hitched as he licked harder and moved his face closer into me. I had never felt anything like this, ever. Reading about it sure didn't do it any justice. My back arched as the intensity of the throbbing inside me brought me to my first high.

I lay back down, panting. I looked down at him, my face flushed. He looked up at me. "I haven't even touched you inside yet." He said, licking his lips. "And I am sooo not finished with you yet." He added as he began to work his magic with his tongue again. It was not long before I was gripping the pillow either side of my head, digging my nails into it, as the most sensational orgasm washed over me.

He lifted his head and crawled up the bed, hovering over me. His lips glistening wet with my arousal. He leaned into me and kissed my open mouth, his tongue entering my mouth, crashing with mine sharing the taste of me. I reacted immediately by wrapping my legs around his waist and pushing the backs of my heels into his backside. The end result was exactly what I wanted. He entered me without any hesitation, filling my void completely. I let out a moan at the sensation. He groaned into my neck. As he pushed into me I pressed harder with my heels wanting more of him inside me.

His pace swiftly changed from gentle and steady to fast and impatient. His groans, matching my moans, with each forward thrust. I called out his name as I felt him almost reaching his climax, triggering my own to build in response. As he lurched forward spilling into me, I grasped his shoulders, digging my nails into his flesh and I reached my own high.

He collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily into my neck, causing me to shiver at the coolness of his breath on my heated flesh. Slowly our breathing regulated. He rolled over onto the space next to me and reached for my hand, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing the back of it gently.

I rolled over to wards him when I regained some of my composure and draped my arm over his waist, watching his chest rise and fall almost hypnotically, his sweet scent swirling around my head. I shut my eyes to process what he had done to me and made me feel. Smiling to myself, all I wanted to do now was drift off to sleep.

The smell of coffee confirmed that someone was up and around. I pulled myself out of Edward's arms. He huffed. "I suppose we can't stay in bed all day today can we?"

"No, it's Mother's Day! I'm getting up to see who needs food. Are you hungry?"

"Actually I am. I'll come down and give you a hand." He said getting out of bed.

I looked over to him frowning. He held up a hand. "I promise I will help. I won't get in the way." He stood there smiling at me totally disarming me of any words of rejection.

"Okay, I'll find a job for you. You can set the table for a start." I stated, getting in the shower. He cheekily saluted me and turned to get his clothes ready.

Twenty minutes later we were both ready and headed downstairs. Emmett was sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping on a cup of coffee. He looked over to us as we entered the kitchen and smiled.

"At last! I'm wasting away here." He said, grinning and tapping his stomach.

"It would take at least a year for you to 'waste away' Emmett." I retorted with a smile.

"We're not going to test that one out though." He said with a horrified look on his face. "What you going to cook, goddess?" He added.

"Let's see what there is in the fridge, Emmett." I opened the door and checked inside.

"Looks like we have a little of everything. So that's you happy then." I said, getting everything out and placing the ingredients of an 'Emmett breakfast' on the counter top.

I pointed to the table for Edward to attend to. He immediately took the hint and began to set the table with the place mats and cutlery. Emmett poured himself another cup of coffee and got two more cups out and filled them. He placed one cup next to where I had begun cooking.

"Thanks Emmett." I said, giving him a nod.

I plated up some of the cooked food for Emmett and handed him the plate. He sniffed the food on the plate and smiled broadly. "Thanks goddess. I'll go and do this justice, shall I?" He said, making his way to the table.

Edward switched the heat lamps on and sat down for a moment to drink his coffee. He sat quietly, watching me move around the kitchen. I put the thought of his eyes watching me to the back of my mind. _He is just too distracting!_

The rest of the family were slowly making their way downstairs. Rosalie couldn't wait to share the news of the events in the nightclub.

"You should have seen her face!" She exclaimed, looking around the table. They hung on her every word.

"Bella was just so brilliant! When she said the word 'nothing' she looked like someone had just stolen her Jimmy Choo's!" She sat back in her chair relishing the memory.

"Well done, Bella!" Alice called out to the kitchen. "I'm not too sure I would have been able to stay so cool and collected if I'd been there." She said, shaking her head.

"I'm just glad you weren't there, honey. Wouldn't have been good for our babies, you gettin' upset over her." He stated, planting a kiss on her cheek. She smiled at him acknowledging his wise words.

Edward helped to organise the plates of food and took them out to the table for everyone. Alice was having a good morning, so was able to stomach a small amount of the cooked breakfast.

We all sat chatting as we ate enjoying each others company. Emmett, having finished before everyone else went to put another pot of coffee on. He waited in the kitchen for the coffee pot to fill up, returning to the table with a fresh pot.

"So, Alice, what time is the table booked for?" Edward asked, looking over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"The usual time. Charlie will collect us at three. The table is for four o'clock. So we've got plenty of time to relax." She answered, finishing her very milky coffee.

"Good, so we've got time to have a game or two on the Xbox, hey Emmett?" Edward said, looking over at his big brother, with a wicked grin on his face.

"Only if we play in teams and I pick Bella to play on my team! Okay, Bella?" He said hurriedly, looking over to me with a broad grin on his face and pleading in his eyes.

"Of course, Emmett. I'll play on your team." I answered as if placating a small child.

Edward shot me a disappointed look and pouted. "Oh, don't look at me like that!" I chided, smacking him on the arm. "You know that Emmett needs all the encouragement he can get! Poor thing has lost too many times recently. It's not good for his ego." I added, winking at Emmett, his grin not able to get any broader if he tried.

"Okay, you win Emmett. So, who wants to team up with me and take these two on?" Edward asked, looking around the table.

"I will." Jasper replied, putting up his hand.

Alice looked over to Rosalie. "Let's go and sort out what we're going to wear shall we. Some of the things in my wardrobe are getting a bit tight and I need your opinion on a couple of outfits. I feel a shopping trip coming on Rose."

Rosalie nodded and the two of them left the table and made their way upstairs.

I began to clear the table. Carlisle took the cups and empty coffee pot out to the kitchen.

"I'm going to watch you play on the Xbox Bella, if you don't mind. It should be very interesting from what I hear from Emmett." He said, smiling and making his way over to the lounge. Esme followed him and they both sat in the comfy chairs, re-positioned to one side of the long couch.

I finished loading the dishwasher and dried off my hands.

"Come on, Bella!" Emmett shouted. "We're all set up in here!" He added.

"Yes, yes, Emmett. I'm on my way!" _Oh, he is so excited about winning today!_

As I walked into the room, Edward, Jasper and Emmett were seated on the couch. Emmett and Jasper separated to make enough room for me to get comfortable. I picked up the controller and sat down, wedging myself between the two. I sat back in the couch as the men leaned forward on the edge of the couch, their elbows resting on their legs, hunched over their controllers in anticipation. I sat there smiling at their eagerness as if their lives depended on the outcome of the game. I looked over to Esme, who looked over to me at the same time. We smiled at each other. She put her hand up to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

The game started. "Emmett, sit back. Relax." I instructed him.

Not taking his eyes from the TV screen he immediately shuffled back into the couch and relaxed.

"That's better. Now, move your man to the left." I said in a low voice. He did.

"Walk forward." He did. "See that there?" He nodded. "Right, aim, hold on. Okay shoot!" He did. A large grin spread across his face. He nudged me in my side with his elbow, not taking his focus away from the screen. I gave him a few more pointers.

Jasper shot me a sideways glance and smiled. "Never thought I'd see the day that Emmett would take the advice of a woman on playing an Xbox game!" He said, earning him a slap on the back from Emmett as he deftly reached over me to reach Jasper.

Edward huffed at the result of the first game meaning a win to our team.

"Next game is the decider, you two." Emmett boomed out full of confidence.

They both looked at him giving a forced smile. Much to their annoyance we won the next game by a large margin.

I checked time feeling it was time to take myself out of the game before their egos became completely crushed.

"I'm going to make a start on getting ready, Edward." I looked over to him giving my sweetest smile. His eyes seemed to soften when he looked into face.

"I think I'll do the same." Esme added, taking my arm as I stood up. We made our way up the stairs together. When we reached the landing, Esme turned towards me.

She pulled me into an embrace. Letting go she smiled. "You really are a blessing to this family, Bella. I don't know what we did without you before now. I've never seen Edward so happy. Thank you my dear." She kissed me on the cheek and turned to go to her room.

I stood for a moment. Her gesture meant so much to me. I was a little overwhelmed and felt tears threatening to spill. I quickly composed myself and headed up to my room. Once in my room I grabbed a tissue and wiped away the tears, now rolling down my cheeks. _This family are just too good to be true!_

I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at myself in the full length mirror. _Come on, Bella. Get ready. You can do this without too much help. Make yourself look beautiful for him. He deserves it. _

I took a deep breath and got up and took the other pretty, blue dress that Alice had given me out of the wardrobe. I thought I would keep the makeup low key, so just put on some mascara and lipstick. I took my hair out of its ponytail and brushed through it thoroughly. I swept up the sides of my hair and put clips in to hold it in place. I put on a set of my new underwear and carefully stepped into the dress. I realised that I had left the shoes from last night in Edward's room. I picked up my purse and went downstairs to get them.

I entered Edward's room and quickly shut the door. He was only half dressed. I stood with my back against the door and took in a deep breath.

"Hey, beautiful!" He said looking up at me, having just zipped up his trousers.

"Hey, yourself!" I breathed out. I walked over to the end of the bed and picked up my shoes, sitting down on the bed to put them on.

"Let me do that for you, Bella." He swiftly bent on his knee in front of me and deftly buckled up the ankle strap of my right shoe. I reached out and caressed his naked shoulder. He looked up at me from under his lashes and grinned. I moved my hand to rake it through his hair as he buckled up the strap on the left shoe. He shut his eyes as I continued to play with his hair. I let my hand trace down the side of his face and down along his chest resting my hand over his heart. By now it was pounding and I relished in the knowledge that I caused such reactions in him.

Reaching up to his face I cupped it with both of my hands and drew him close to me.

I kissed him gently on his mouth, pulling away to look at him and kissed him again. He smelt delicious and was beginning to have a rather lovely affect on my sensitive areas. Sensing his own physical reactions he opened his eyes and smiled.

He took my hands in his and kissed the upturned palms. "We'll end up making everyone late for the restaurant at this rate, Bella. You go ahead downstairs. I'll be down in a few minutes." He said, standing up and helping me to my feet. He kissed me on the forehead and walked over to the wardrobe to get a shirt.

Without looking back I left the room and made my way downstairs, holding the hand rail tightly to steady myself on the stairs. Alice smiled at me as I walked down to join them.

"That dress looks lovely on you, Bella. I think you'll need to come with me when I go shopping next. It's time to add something to your wardrobe." She said in a very matter of fact tone. I rolled my eyes at her not bothering to argue. _I don't want to argue with a woman who is expecting twins._

Edward came downstairs moments later as Charlie entered the room and nodded to Esme and Carlisle.

"I think we're ready Charlie." Carlisle announced, looking around the room at the well turned out gathering.

"Yes, Dr Cullen." Charlie said, turning to make his way to the car.

We followed Charlie out of the house and made ourselves comfortable in the limo.

We had plenty of time to get to the restaurant, so Charlie didn't rush. I looked out of the window at various points along the way taking in some of the sights of the city. Edward held onto my hand tightly resting on his thigh.

Arriving at the restaurant, Charlie opened the door and we exited the limo straightening our clothes, ready to enter the large double doors. As we walked in en masse I noticed a few familiar faces from the outing, Friday evening. Esme and Carlisle nodded towards a few tables and waved to some more familiar faces. We took our seats around the large rectangular table, Esme seated at one end and Carlisle at the opposite end. Set along the centre of the table were four flower arrangements.

They were made up of a mixture of pink roses, baby's breath, dark pink gerberas, white freesias and variegated foliage. The table looked very elegant set with silver cutlery and crystal glasses neatly arranged at each place.

With our orders for food and drink taken we relaxed into gentle conversation. I scanned the room to take in the convivial atmosphere. There were a variety of different sized families at the tables but our family was the largest in the room.

I noticed Mrs Thompson seated at one of the window tables, with her family. She looked over towards Esme and smiled. Getting up she made her way over to us.

"Esme, how lovely to see you again! It's been quite a while. You're designs for the country house, are still being admired even now." She said, giving Esme a kiss on her cheek, smiling and looking around our table. Her gaze reached me.

"Why, Miss Swan! How lovely to see you again. I didn't know that you part of the Cullen family?" She said, looking at Esme again and then over to Carlisle.

"Not yet, Diane, but I'm quite sure that one day she will share the Cullen name." She looked over to me as she spoke and winked at me. A blush was the only reply I could give.

"I am so pleased that you have taken on the challenge of the wedding cake Miss swan. Mrs Whitlock's recommendation was praise enough but now that I know you are almost a fully fledged member of the Cullen family, I have absolutely no doubt about my confidence in you."

I smiled at her and stood to shake her outstretched hand.

"Well, I had better get back to my table and let you continue with your day. Lovely to see you all." She said in a sing song tone as she returned to her family.

The first course arrived, brought out my three waiters so that we could all eat at the same time.

Esme smiled looking around the table at her family. "Sometimes," she began "It seems like only yesterday that you were still running around in the garden making mud pies and teasing you sister with worms." She reminisced, looking over to Emmett, Edward and Alice. "And now look at you all. Getting married, having a family of your own and just starting out together." Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at all of our faces.

"Now, now, Esme. Don't get too sentimental, love. You'll start Alice blubbering. Not too difficult to do in her condition remember." He said, grinning at Esme and looking over to Alice with raised eyebrows.

"No, you're okay, dad! I'm managing to hold it in." Alice replied to her father's look.

"We shall have to get some ideas down on paper soon to make a start on the nursery." Esme stated looking over to Jasper and Alice. "I think it might be a good idea if you take two of the rooms on the second floor of the city house to make your own. We can then use the room you have now as a guest room." She finished with a nod in their direction.

"That sounds like a great idea, mom. They'll be far enough away from everyone so they don't disturb people at night."

"But close enough to hear you call for help if you need it, Alice." Esme said, putting her knife and fork down on her plate.

The rest of the meal was peppered with conversation about the new members-to-be and asking me questions as to how I would make the flowers for the wedding cake in four weeks.

"Rosalie!" I began, having her full attention. "I don't want to pressure you, but have you decided what you want on your wedding cake, yet?"

"Yes, Bella! I thought it would be lovely to have samples of the wild flowers that grow in Washington Sate. I've checked on a web site and there are some very pretty ones and some lovely colours. So that's what I would like on the cake." She said confirming her decision with a large smile. Emmett put his arm around the back of her chair and subconsciously began to play with a strand of her hair.

"That sounds great, Rosalie. I'll have to get some detailed pictures printed off and then I can make a couple of samples for you to approve. After that it won't take long to make them. I still have a lot of time." I said in an assuring voice.

Esme smiled in approval and Edward put his hand on my knee, giving it a little squeeze. He leaned into me and kissed me on the cheek.

"Is there no end to your talents, Bella? I'm so proud of you." He confirmed his words with another kiss on my temple.

The dessert course was served and silence fell around the table as we took in the sight of the Summer Fruits pudding. After we finished eating we rounded the meal off with coffee and brandy for the men. Esme, Rosalie and I had an orange liquor to accompany the coffee.

It was soon time to make our way home. I felt like I had eaten enough food to last me a few days. As we left the table, Alice handed Esme one of the flower displays on the table. "Happy Mother's day, mom." She said as she placed the arrangement in her hands.

"Thank you darling," Esme replied, giving Alice a kiss on the cheek.

Alice picked up one of the other arrangements and handed one to me and one to Rosalie.

I took it, looking around the room quickly, realising that the other tables just had simple, small vases filled with flowers, standing in the middle of the table. Our table was the only one set with displays. I smiled at Alice knowing that she had organised everything today, right down to the flower displays for the ladies.

As we stepped outside the restaurant, Charlie opened the limo door for us and we made ourselves comfortable for the journey home. The weekend had almost come to an end. The working week would begin again in the morning. I would have to make a start on making the flowers for the wedding in four weeks time.

When we were back at the house, I quickly made notes in the diary to remind myself to get the necessary supplies for creating the flowers.

Even after all the food we had eaten, Emmett still managed to find room in his stomach to fit in a cheese sandwich! _He must have hollow legs! _

The day was coming to an end as the family began to drift upstairs to go to bed.

I sat in the kitchen and sent a 'Happy Mother's Day' text to my mom. Mom text back, to thank me for the beautiful flowers and card. She would get in contact during the week.

I shut my phone and switched off the kitchen light. Edward took my hand and we walked upstairs together. We both fell asleep almost as soon as we settled in bed, snuggled together with my arm resting across his chest, his hand gently caressing my hip and thigh.

**End of Chapter**

**Authors note; **Well, I know it was a bit mushy but it was Mother's Day after all. I think it's nice to have sentimental times, don't you? Bella's week ahead is going to be very busy and maybe even a little shall I say, tense? Liked it or loathed it, please review so that I'm encouraged to update soon. Take care!


	32. Chapter 32

**Authors note; **I know it's been a while since I updated. Life keeps getting in the way. So, I've managed to get another chapter done with Edward and Bella alone in the house – you can imagine! Enjoy and take care.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

With breakfast cooked and devoured, everyone, other than Edward, eventually went off to work. There was no sign of Edward as yet, he was having a lay in this morning making the most of his time off.

I opened the diary at today's date. I quickly wrote down the menu for this evening. I had decided to make a start on making the flowers for the wedding cake for Mrs Thompson's daughter today. I had to get a few supplies for the evening meal and for the cake decorating, so I grabbed my jacket and took the short walk to the store to pick them up.

An hour later I returned back to the house. Edward was downstairs and in the kitchen. He was drinking a fresh cup of coffee and eating some toast at the breakfast bar.

"There you are, Bella. I wondered where you had disappeared to!" He launched himself from the bar stool and took the bags from my hands placing them on the counter top and began to unpack. He looked at the cake decorating ingredients and raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to make a start on the flowers are you?"

"Well, I thought that I could make them during my spare time. I don't spend all day cooking so this will be the ideal opportunity to get them done in good time." I quickly put away the items that needed to go in the fridge.

"What kind of flowers are you making for this cake?"

"Roses, two different shades of pink interspersed with white ones and silk flowers for the gypsophila."

"It sounds lovely. Can I watch?" He walked forward to where I was standing and kissed my temple. His breath fanned over the side of my face making me shut my eyes for a moment. I noticed him grinning as I opened my eyes. _Oh he knows exactly what he does to me._

"Of course. It's nice to have someone to talk too while I'm doing this. But before I do I've got a couple of phone calls to make." I had remembered that I needed to contact two people today from the list that Alice put together. I pulled out the file from the shelf, made myself comfortable on a barstool and dialled the first number on the list.

Mrs Peterson answered the phone to me. She sounded relieved when I explained to her that her details had been passed on to me from Alice. We arranged a meeting for Friday morning at nine o'clock. This cake was not needed until September, giving me plenty of time after Rosalie and Emmett's wedding to begin the decorations for Mrs Peterson's cake.

The next phone call I made was to a Mrs Taylor. She required a cake for the beginning of July. Again I made an appointment to meet up at half past ten Friday morning.

"I take it they were happy then?" Edward asked as he poured us out another cup of coffee each.

"Yes, they were. I've managed to make the appointments for Friday morning so that still gives me plenty of time to catch my flight to Phoenix for the weekend." I finished writing the details in the diary.

"Yeah. I'd forgotten that you were going this weekend. I'll miss you while your gone, Bella." His face was a little sad when he spoke. I reached out my hand to cup his cheek.

"And I'll miss you. The weekend will go so quickly with you working. I'll be back before you know it." A small smile came to his lips.

"We'll just have to make the most of our time together before you go then." _His mind is working overtime now._

"And what did you have in mind Edward Cullen?" I traced my fingers down his jaw line, finally resting my hand on his chest.

"Well, that would be telling wouldn't it?" He said, giving me his best seductive look. _Oh yeah it worked!_

"Well, whatever it is will need to wait till later. I have to make a start on these flowers." I set everything out on the counter top and after washing my hands in cold water to make sure that my hands were cool enough to work with the sugar paste, I cut off a section of paste and began to roll it out.

As I worked Edward talked about the application that he had put in for the surgery position.

"So when do you find out whether you've got the position or not?" I asked not taking my eyes of the sugar paste I was working on.

"It's not that simple, Bella. I haven't had the interview for it yet and then I have to wait for a decision. I'm not too sure how many others are going for the one job."

"But you really want this don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I'll just have to wait and see."

"They'd be silly if they didn't select you for the position."

"You say the sweetest things, but you're biased aren't you?"

"Of course I am. I think you're a wonderful Doctor. They're lucky to have you!"

"I love you, Bella. You're so positive. It's just what I need you know. You're good for me, Bella." He looked at the flowers that I had made while we were talking. "And you're very talented. I have said that before haven't I? These people are lucky to have you in charge of something so important for their special day. When will you have to start on the decorations for Rose and Emmett's cake?"

"After I've finished the one for July. That'll give me plenty of time to get the flowers done. Actually, I have a job for you, now you come to mention their cake." I looked up at him, hoping he would say yes and save me time.

"Anything, Bella."

"Would you go on the internet for me and print off pictures of native flowers of Washington State? Life size would be good. I can make a few samples then so Rosalie can give me the go ahead."

"No problem, I'll do that a little later when you start cooking the evening meal."

"Thanks, Edward."

I spent the next hour concentrating on making the roses. I put them in an airtight box but then realised that I would soon run out of room to keep them in the house. I made a quick decision to ring the bakery. Edward looked at me a little puzzled as I reached for the phone.

"Hi, Mike, it's Bella speaking!"

"Bella! Good to hear from you. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I've made a start on making the flowers for the cake but I've realised that I'm going to run out of room to store them." Before I could even ask the question he interjected as if he read my thoughts.

"So you want to store them over here?"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble. I thought that maybe the room that you said isn't being used for anything, would be ideal."

"Of course, Bella! I did say that you can use that room if you needed to. Shall I set you up with storage for the decorations?"

"Oh yes, that would be great! When would it be convenient for me to bring over the batch I've already made?"

"Anytime, Bella. The room is up and ready for you. I made sure it was cleaned out at the weekend."

"That's really kind of you. I'll bring the first batch over tomorrow then. Probably in the morning."

"Okay, then, Bella. I'll see you sometime in the morning."

"Thanks, Mike. 'Bye."

"You're welcome, Bella. 'Bye."

I put the phone down and smiled at the receiver.

"Good news?"

"Oh, yes. Mike Newton has arranged for me to use a spare room they have at the bakery. I'll be able to store the decorations over there. Then when the cake is made I'll have everything at hand to complete it."

"That's seems to have worked out well."

"Yes, It's very kind of him to be so helpful."

"I suppose you're giving him business as well. He makes the cakes and you decorate them. Sounds logical to me."

"Right, let's get some lunch sorted shall we? I take it you're hungry?"

"Umm yes, definitely. Very hungry. Do you know what a turn on it is to see you take control of things the way you do?" He reached out and took my hand in his.

"No, not really. No doubt if I watched you at work, it would have the same effect on me. No doubt you have nurses falling at you're feet to get you're attention." I gave him a wry smile as I looked into his eyes.

"No, not for a long time. I was such a grump to be around when Tanya did the dirty on me that they all kept away." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"But you're not a grump now." I retorted.

"No, but they know that I have someone in my life now. I've made it very clear."

"Good." I said and slid off the stool, positioning myself between his legs.

I reached up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He reached down, running his fingers through my ponytail and kissed with feather light kisses down my neck, moving the collar of my t-shirt out of the way with this thumb, he trailed his tongue along my collarbone.

"Umm, Edward. Do you think we could get a little bit more comfortable?" I spoke in barely a whisper.

"Absolutely. There's no carpet on this floor." He had a wide grin on his face as he looked into my eyes. _I wasn't hungry for lunch anyway._

He took my hand and led me upstairs to our room. Shutting the door behind me, he untied my apron slowly, reaching around me twice. I inhaled his scent as he leaned into me. I could hardly keep my eyes open right now. Feeling a little off balance I lent against the door. He slowly stripped me of all my clothing. I stood against the door finally naked. He trailed his fingers down my body starting at my lips. As his fingers trailed., his mouth followed with hot, wet kisses. Goose bumps formed as he worked his way down. I shivered slightly.

He reached my stomach and placed his hot hands on my hips as he bent down in front of me, trailing his mouth to my wet folds. My breath hitched as he nuzzled me, trailing his hands down from my hips to the insides of my thighs.

"Oh, Edward I don't think my legs can hold me up any longer." I warned him. I felt like I was going to collapse on the floor any moment.

"Umm, let's solve that problem for you. Here." He lifted me up off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me over to the bed and placed me down on the edge. I reached up to his trousers and undid his belt buckle, button and lowered the zip. As I pulled his trousers down and his boxers at the same time, he lifted his t-shirt up his body and over his head, letting it drop to the floor. Watching him do this I took in his beautifully sculptured torso. His breathing became heavier as my eyes moved up to his and held my gaze.

He stood before me in all his glory, ready, willing and totally able. I looked down his body again, his hands reaching out to touch my face, then moved around to the back of my head. He carefully untied my hair from its confines and splayed my hair over my shoulders. I shut my eyes as his fingers ran through the length of my hair.

I opened my eyes and leaned forward, his hardened length directly in front of me begging to be touched. I opened my mouth and pushed out my tongue slightly and licked the tip. He breathed out heavily. I brought up my hand to hold him still and placed my mouth around him.

"Oh, God, Bella. That feels so good." His voice thick with lust. He placed his hands on the back of my head again, fisting my hair.

My mouth had almost completely covered him. I shut my eyes to concentrate on the sensations I was causing in him right now. I moved my head back and forth, feeling him pulsate and thicken a little more. By the noises he was making he was enjoying this as much I enjoy doing it. He probably wouldn't last long. As this was the first time I'd ever done this, I wasn't sure if I could finish him off and take it in my mouth. I would have to work on that one. I continued my ministrations for a little longer until he moaned out to me.

"Bella, stop, please, I need to be inside you." I slid my mouth along his length, slowly until he was free. He rested his hands on my shoulders and pushed me gently back on the bed leaning over me, his arms propping his body up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He entered me without any hesitation. I hissed at the sensation and he began to set a steady pace, leaning down to pepper my breasts with heated kisses.

"Oh, Bella you are just too good. I can't hold on much longer. You're so wet."

"Just let go Edward, let go." I panted in reply just coming down from a high. His thrusts became harder and more forceful. My body moving up and down the bed from his actions. His climax was imminent. Feeling this made my walls clamp down on him hard and as he released into me, I reached another climax, fisting the bed covers, needing something to dig my nails into. As we came down back from our high, breathing heavily, we opened our eyes simultaneously and gazed at each other. He leaned down to me again and kissed my mouth, begging for entry. Gently as our tongues moved together I released the comforter and raked my fingers through his hair. He gently pulled away from my mouth and my body.

He stood looking at me for a moment not saying a word. He reached forward and took my hand pulling me up to my feet and led me to the bathroom. We took a shower together, taking turns to wash each other. It was very soothing and relaxing I suppose you could call it 'after' play instead of 'fore' play, reinforcing our bond with each other.

We dried ourselves off and I towel dried my hair, brushing it and putting it back into a ponytail. We dressed again, looking over at each other and smiling. Before we went back downstairs he pulled me toward him planting a kiss on my forehead.

"You are amazing, Bella. I really will miss you this weekend. I'll ring you when I have free time. I promise."

"Indeed you will, Edward or you're going to be in trouble." I reached up to his lips and kissed him before I went back downstairs to the kitchen. I had a dinner to prepare.

Edward followed me and I handed him a bowl of potatoes to peel. He took the hint and sat down to the task. I was cooking rack of lamb with pan fried potatoes, black olives and cherry tomatoes. I had bought a mixture of berry fruits to make a summer berry fruit salad. This would need very little preparation time but would look and taste great. Once Edward had peeled the potatoes he went back upstairs to print off the pictures of wild flowers for Rosalie's wedding cake. I part boiled the potatoes and then set them aside to cool. I put some of the raspberries in the blender and gave them a quick whiz, strained the liquid and set it to one side in the fridge. I then prepared the rest of the fruit and put it all in a large bowl and into the fridge. The dessert was as good as ready. All I needed to do was whip up some cream. I was going to make a cucumber soup with spring onions, a little lettuce and a potato. I prepared the main ingredients and sweated them off in a pan then adding stock and letting it simmer for twenty minutes.

I quickly rang Charlie so that I could organise him to take me to the bakery in the morning and to the meetings Friday. He confirmed that he was free for these times and was happy to take me.

I turned my attention back to the main course washing the black olives and cutting the cherry tomatoes in half to squeeze out the pips. I put the rest in a bowl with the olives. I put meat into the oven on a low heat.

The soup was now ready to put into the blender. I did this and then set it to one side ready to warm up a little later.

The family were beginning to arrive home. Alice didn't look too good so I quickly made her a ginger tea. Jasper led her into the lounge, carrying her tea for her and stroked her hand as she began to recover from the bout of sickness.

Edward had finished printing off the pictures and brought them down putting them in the concertina file for safety.

"Thanks for doing that. I'll show them to Rosalie later after dinner." I smiled at him and quickly kissed his lips.

Edward set the table ready for the meal and I began to warm up the soup adding black pepper. I cut up some crusty bread into thick slices and put them in the bread basket ready for the table.

Edward hung back in the kitchen as the family sat down ready for the meal.

"Edward, you go in and eat. You didn't have any lunch, remember? I have to see to the main course now. I'll joint you when I bring that in." I assured him.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Now go. I'm taking the soup to the table in a minute. Here take the bread with you please." Pushing the bread basket in his hand and pushing him toward to table.

"Okay. But don't be long." He said as he joined the family at the table. He placed the basket on the table.

I poured the soup into the individual bowls and added a swirl of cream to each portion and a few chopped chives for garnish. I set the bowls on the large tray and took them out to the table.

"Wow, Bella. That's an amazing colour for soup!" Esme exclaimed.

"It's cucumber soup. Pretty isn't it?"

"And tasty." Emmett added, taking another slice of bread.

With everyone served, I returned to the kitchen to finish the main course. I sliced up the cooked potatoes and put them to a large frying pan. I then added the cherry tomatoes and olives. I began to sauté everything together while the lamb finished cooking. I added sprigs of rosemary to the frying pan to let the flavours infuse. Everything was now ready. I put the perfectly cooked lamb on a serving dish and put the sautéed potatoes in a large bowl and took everything out to the table.

"Ooooh, look at that mom!" Emmett was holding his knife and fork at the ready.

I smiled at him. He was such a joy to cook for. As Esme served the main course I sat down next to Edward. He reached over and rested his hand on my thigh. I smiled at the warm sensation of his hand.

Alice and Rosalie talked about the designs for the New York fashion show. It was all way beyond me but it did sound interesting. Alice had already got three of the designs made up and would show Rosalie the next lot of finished designs by the end of the week.

I finished my meal as quickly as possible so that I could finish putting the dessert together.

I combined the mixed fruits with the raspberry sauce and added a little dusting sugar to the top and then whipped up some cream. I took the two bowls out to the table, returning to the kitchen with the empty plates and serving dishes. I then rejoined the family and sat to eat the dessert. With the meal finished and everyone full, they made their way over to the lounge for coffee. Edward helped to clear the table as I loaded the dishwasher and put a pot of coffee on. Edward then set up the tray for the coffee and took it into the lounge once the coffee was ready.

I took the pictures out of the file and placed them on the coffee table in front of Rosalie.

"Are these the flowers you're going to make, Bella?" Her face lit up as she held the pictures.

"If you're happy with the colours, yes." I watched as she looked at each picture and then passed it to Emmett for his opinion.

"Yes the colours are perfect." She finally said. "The cake will look amazing. Edward said that you had begun making flowers for another cake. Can I have a look?" She looked up at me eagerly. _She could not be denied._

"Yes, of course Rosalie. Let me go and get the box." I made my way to the kitchen and carefully lifted the box down from the self and took it into the lounge.

"Here you are. What do you think?" I placed the box on the coffee table so that she could get a clear view through the lid.

"Wow, Bella, these look real! I can't wait till you start on our cake!" She was definitely impressed.

"When I do Rosalie, you will not be seeing it. I'll make a couple of samples and then that will be it until your wedding day. I want to keep it a surprise, okay?" I hoped that she understood that keeping it a surprise was important to me.

"Spoil sport! Okay, you win. Thanks Bella, I know it's going to be wonderful" She leaned over to Emmett and planted a kiss on his cheek, making the dimples on his face appear.

The day was fast coming to an end. I finished my cup of coffee and said goodnight to everyone as I had to be up early to cook breakfast. Edward put the last few cups in the dishwasher and set it off before he followed me up to bed. He wrapped his arms around me as we snuggled into each other in bed.

"Thank you, Edward" I said sleepily.

"What for?" He answered just as sleepily.

"For helping me today. You really are great you know." I kissed his chest.

"Umm. Helping you is very relaxing. It's so different to working at the hospital." He ran his fingers up and down my back soothingly.

"Thank you anyway." My eyes were slowly closing.

"You're welcome, my love. Very welcome." Were the last words I heard as I drifted into a deep sleep.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Please review, whether you liked it or not. Your opinion is important to me. I have started on the next chapter and will update soon.


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's note;**Many, many thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. I hope I replied to all of you. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.

**Beta reader; **Many thanks NatalieRB as always.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Tuesday

Once I had cleared the table and tidied the kitchen after breakfast, I changed, putting a fresh t-shirt on and had a cup of coffee with Edward, while waiting for Charlie. As arranged, Charlie knocked for me at 8.30 to take me to the bakery. Edward walked me to the door. He reached out and cupped my face as he opened the door.

"You won't be too long will you?" He looked as though he was saying goodbye to me for a couple of weeks rather than a couple of hours.

I smiled up at him, appreciating that fact that he enjoyed spending every minute of his free time with me as much as I did. "Of course I won't. You go back upstairs and do some reading. You said you had some articles to catch up on. This is the ideal opportunity." I reached up and kissed his lips, careful not to tip up the box of sugar paste roses I was holding in my hands.

Charlie smiled at our interaction and held the door of the midnight blue Mercedes, open for me, shutting it once I was settled.

I arrived at the bakery just after 9.00. Charlie was going to wait for me. I made my way into the building. The warmth and smell of freshly baked food was extremely inviting first thing in the morning. I could hear that the main bakery room was a hive of activity. Quickly finding my way to Mike's office, I knocked on the door.

"Come in." Mike called out in a muffled tone.

I opened the door and walked in, slightly hesitant. "Hi, Mike!"

Mike's head snapped up from a stack of paperwork and he quickly stood up from his chair. "Hi, Bella! Good to see you." He said, letting out a deep breath as he made his way around his desk to shake hands. _He must be having a tough day today going by the amount of paperwork._

"I've brought the sugar paste flowers!" I said, holding up the box carefully.

"Can I have a look, Bella?" He asked tentatively.

"Of course. Here." I handed over the box so that he could have a better look.

"These are really good, Bella. You certainly have a talent don't you?" He looked up from the box and smiled. _He should smile more often. He seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders._

"That's very kind of you Mike. Can I put these in the spare room now, before they get damaged?" He handed the box back to me.

"Yes, of course. Let me show you where it is for the next time that you need to use it." He gestured toward the door.

He held the office door open for me and then led the way through a small corridor to a door at the end. He unlocked the door and ushered me in and switched the lights on. The room wasn't particularly large but it had a stainless steel work table, shelving, the promised airtight storage boxes and plenty of lighting to work with.

"I put a barstool in here for you. I thought that with making the flowers and decorating cakes you would want to sit down to work." He gestured toward the stool.

"That's great Mike. Thanks for that." I was genuinely happy with what he'd done.

I placed my box on the table and took down one of the storage boxes from the shelf and transferred the flowers into it and sealed the lid. "I'll hopefully get some more done this week before I go away at the weekend." I said, putting the box back on the shelf.

"Oh, you're going away. Anywhere nice?" He asked, inclining his head a little to one side.

"Yes, I'm going to visit my mom and dad. They live in Phoenix." I replied, picking up the now empty storage box.

"When will you be back?" He shoved his hands in his coat pockets.

"Oh, I'll be flying back Monday, ready for work Monday afternoon." I answered.

Mike nodded looking down at the floor. The room suddenly fell silent. I decided to break the silence as I wanted to get back to the house and Edward.

"Do you have a spare key for this room? It would make things easier, in case you're not in when I come over with the next batch."

"Of course." He answered. It seemed that I had broken him out of some deep thought. "Take this key." He reached into his white coat pocket and pulled out a set of assorted keys. "I know I have a spare in my office desk." He fiddled with they key fob taking off the correct key and handed it to me.

"Thanks Mike. So, I'd better be on my way." _Judging by the frown on his face, something is definitely playing on his mind._

"Bella, before you go, can I ask you something?" He seemed a little nervous but I couldn't figure out why.

"Yes Mike. What is it?" I looked at him, curiously.

"Are you available tomorrow, for lunch?" He looked up at me, his face a little tense and then quickly looked down at the floor again.

"Lunch?! Well I'm not sure." He took me by surprise with the question.

"I should have said 'business lunch'." He corrected himself.

"Business lunch? How come?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, we are technically in business together now. You place the order with us to bake the cake and you decorate it. We promote each other in a sense. I call that a business arrangement, don't you? I actually wanted to talk to you about using pictures of the finished cakes for promotional purposes." He had just reinforced Edward's logic.

"I suppose you're right. Okay then." I looked over to him and smiled.

"Where can I pick you up from?" By this time he looked a little more relaxed now. _Did he think I was going to say no? A business lunch isn't something to worry about._

"Have you got a piece of paper and pen?" I asked holding out a hand.

He handed me a piece of paper and a pen from the pocket of his white coat. I quickly put down the box and wrote down the address. He looked at it when I handed the pen and paper back to him and raised an eyebrow for a second.

_I not too sure what that reaction is supposed to mean._ "What time do I need to be ready?"

"I'll pick you up about one." The reply came out as a question rather than a statement.

_Good. Plenty of time for me to make Edward lunch before he goes to work._

"That's fine. Okay Mike I'll see you tomorrow. Do I need to dress formally?"

"Ah, no. I don't really enjoy formal eating. Just as you are now is fine. Great, Bella. I'm looking forward to it." He said as he reached out his hand to shake mine.

We left the room and I locked it. Mike led me back down the hallway. We parted at his office door just giving each other a nod, before I made my way out of the building, returning to Charlie and my lift back to the house.

Edward greeted me at the door. "Did you get the roses over to the bakery safely?"

"Of course. Charlie is an excellent driver. They're now safe in their new home. So, what have you been doing?" I asked as he took my jacket and hung it up on the coat rack.

"Well, I read all the articles I needed too. Hopefully when I have the interview I'll be able to answer at least some of their questions." He answered a little seriously.

I chuckled at him. "You don't need to worry about it! You already know it all!" I stated making my way into the kitchen.

I washed my hands and tied an apron on and began to take out food from the freezer for tomorrow's evening meal.

"Is that for tonight's meal?" He asked.

"No, for tomorrow's. I'm out tomorrow afternoon, so I thought I'd cook it in advance. It will help to save time." I placed the frozen food on the draining board.

"Why? Where are you going?" He asked with a slight frown on his face.

"Mike has asked me out for a business lunch." I answered, as I walked over to the breakfast bar and opened the diary.

"Really? Where will you be going?" He asked as he clicked the kettle on to make two cups of herbal tea.

"He didn't say." I began writing down the menu for this evening's meal.

"Do you have to go?" He sat on a barstool watching me.

"Well, yes. It 's not a problem is it?" I looked over to him, puzzled.

"No, I suppose not. It's just that you don't know him very well do you?" _What on earth is he concerned about?_

"Edward, he has been nothing but kind towards me. We are in business together of sorts. You said so yourself." I walked over to him and rested my hand on his shoulder.

He looked nervous and raked his fingers through his hair, looking down at the floor.

_What is it with men and floors today?_

"There really is no need to worry Edward. It's not a date if that's what you're thinking." I retorted.

He finally found the floor not so interesting and looked at me with a small smile. "Yes, of course. You're right. I trust you Bella but I just don't trust any men around you apart from my family that is." He said shrugging his shoulders.

I cupped his face with my hands to look into his eyes. "Oh, Edward! I do love you, you know! It's so sweet that you care about my welfare so much. This is just a business lunch. I'm quite sure that he just wants to make sure that his business gets as much publicity as possible from our arrangement and nothing more."

"Call it what you like. I'll still worry." There seemed to be no way to change his mind.

"There is nothing to worry about. Believe me he's a pussycat compared to you." I retorted.

"Oh, really! So what am I then?" He asked with a grin.

"You are one sexy mountain lion. You would eat him for breakfast!" I stated.

He growled, literally and buried his face in my neck, inhaling deeply.

"Umm, you smell good" He whispered in my ear.

"So do you." I whispered back.

"Do you think we'd have enough time to find out what else smells good on you before Jessica gets here?" I asked eagerly.

"Nope." I answered popping the 'p'.

"You don't play fair, Bella." He pouted.

"And you didn't hear the front door open did you?" I whispered into his ear. "Hi, Jess." I called out knowing that I would get a reply.

"Hi Bella." Jessica's voice answered from the hallway. "How are you… Oh! Hi Edward." She said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Jessica. And how are you?" He asked, not really looking in her direction.

"Very well thanks." She answered, looking genuinely happy.

"Would you like something to drink before you start Jess?" I offered.

"No, it's okay. You carry on. I'll make a start upstairs." She grinned.

"Oh, Jess don't worry about changing the sheets on my bed and you only need to quickly go over my rooms…."

"Bella hasn't been spending much time up there recently." Edward interrupted with a grin on his face.

"Okay. No problem." Jessica looked over to me and winked. I smiled back at her. _Things must be going really well for her with James. I'll no doubt find out about it later. She looks like she's fit to burst now!_

"I'll have a sandwich ready for you at half twelve, okay?" I asked, looking in her direction for confirmation.

"Thanks, Bella. That'll be great." She said, giving me a small wave as thanks.

She headed for the cupboard under the stairs and began to take out her cleaning tools, up to the third floor.

I got a bowl and loaded it with potatoes and sat down at the breakfast bar to peel them. _Gratinated potatoes tonight, with chicken breasts in a tarragon sauce._ I sipped at the cooled tea as I peeled the potatoes.

"I'll make you something to eat once these are done. Have a look in the fridge and take out what you would like me to make." I said, looking up from the potato I was peeling for a moment.

Edward nodded and slipped off the barstool and walked over to the fridge opening it and taking a second to decide. I watched him for a moment a little lost in taking in his wonderful body.

Edward placed the ingredients for his lunch on the counter top and I finished peeling the last potato. I put them in a large pan, covered them in water and put them on a low heat to part-boil gently. I would not need to start on the chicken until later.

I quickly washed my hands and turned my attention to making Edward's lunch. He had taken out some smoked salmon and cream cheese. I cut two thick pieces of the crusty bread and added a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper to the salmon. I sliced some tomato and cucumber and arranged them on the side of the plate. Taking out a fork from the drawer, I took the plated sandwich over to him.

"Here you are. Enjoy." As he took the plate and fork he lent forward and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you my kitchen goddess." He said softly.

I smiled at the hint of possessiveness that had made me blush slightly for the first time in a while and kissed him back softly on his lips.

I quickly made another cup of herbal tea and thought about what I would make for dessert for the next day that would happily keep in the fridge over night. My best quick option would be individual chocolate mousses topped off with whipped cream and orange zest. I set out all the ingredients on the countertop.

"Knowing what everyone else is going to have for their dinner is making me feel quite jealous. Do you think they would notice at the hospital if I snuck out and came home for dinner?"

"Yes, they would notice. If you came home tomorrow evening I might not let you go back. Then you'd be in trouble!" _He has just given me an amazing idea._

I smiled to myself and took the potatoes off the hob and drained them to allow them to cool. I then set to work on making tomorrow's dessert. In the meantime Edward finished his lunch and tea and went upstairs to get out of the way of gossip. Jessica just finished the first floor and brought down her cleaning equipment and then went back upstairs to bring down the pile of bedding to be laundered.

She had decided to take her break now before starting on the ground floor. As I finished working on the chocolate desserts, she put on a fresh pot of coffee and sat down to watch me.

"How was your weekend then, Jess?" I asked as I divided the mixture into the individual ramekins. I covered the ramekins with foil and placed them carefully in the top of the fridge.

"We had a fantastic time, Bella. He took me to this lovely hotel out of town. The food there was great. We had room service the whole time, if you get what I mean." She gave me a small smile.

"I take it everything is going really well with you two?" She asked.

"Umm, yes. It is Jess." I replied.

"Can I just say something?" Jess poured out two cups of coffee.

"Go ahead, Jess." I began to make some sandwiches.

"You two look really good together. Since I met James I've never been so happy. I can see that same look on your face too." She smiled at me.

"Yes, Jess. I think you're right. It's good to have someone who really cares for you and loves you, isn't it?"

"Certainly is. You know I think James is the one. I know I've had my fair share of one-night stands but he just isn't like that. I can see a future with James. Does it sound a little too soon Bella?"

"Not at all! If you connected so quickly then why shouldn't he be the one for you?

As long as you're happy, then I wouldn't worry about anyone else, Jess."

"You're right!" She replied, taking another sip of coffee.

We finished our lunch and Jess headed back to her cleaning while I decided on starters for this evening. I had some lovely large mushrooms in the fridge so I decided to do another version of stuffed mushrooms. This time I would fill them with already roasted red pepper, crushed garlic and mozzarella cheese. This was a quick recipe so would not need to be started until later. I decided that I would start on the main course for tomorrow.

It was quite an easy decision to make. Lasagne as I knew that everyone loved it and I would be able to put together asparagus wrapped in Parma ham with slices of avocado added to the plate, as the starter. Again this was quite simple and straight forward. Not time consuming. I jotted it down in the diary under tomorrow's date.

With everything organised, I started on the Lasagne. I had almost finished making it and set the oven to the correct temperature, when Jess stood at the kitchen doorway.

"Bella. I've finished now. I'll see you Thursday. Take care."

"Okay, Jess. You take care as well." I said smiling and turning my attention to making the gratinated potatoes to go with this evening's main course and placed the large dish in the bottom of the oven. I then decided to clean up the kitchen before starting on the rest of this evening's meal.

Edward returned back downstairs, obviously attuned to when Jess finished her work.

I grinned at him when he sat down on a barstool.

"What so amusing?" He asked, checking on the level of water in the kettle and switching it on.

"Why do you try and avoid Jess so much? She not going to eat you any more you know. She knows you're taken." I stood still for a moment leaning on the floor mop and looking at him intently.

"Yes, I realise that. It's just that she really doesn't have anything interesting to talk about. It's all gossip as far as Jessica is concerned." He took out two cups from the cupboard and made tea.

"Nothing wrong in a little gossip. That was the way I found out about Tanya. If she hadn't said anything then I think I might have given up this job and gone for something else, considering how Rosalie was behaving towards me." I said in a nonchalant tone.

"Really. You would have left us?" He looked up at me a shocked expression on his face.

"Er, let me see." I said tapping my lips with my index finger. "Yes, I would have."

"I'm so glad you didn't go. My life would be boring without you." He gave me a huge smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

"So am I, now." I set the mop back into action, deliberately sticking out my backside towards him.

"You are such a tease, Bella Swan." He began to chuckle.

"I know but you love it really." I turned and winked at him. _He is so easy to tease._

Once the floor was clean, I sat down at the breakfast bar and drank the cup of tea to allow the floor to dry. Edward reached out to hold my hand. A tingle made its way up my arm from my fingers, almost to my elbow. I let out a small sigh.

"Did you feel that too?" He raised his eyebrows a little and grinned.

"Of course, since the first time you touched me." My voice was almost a whisper.

We sat quietly for a moment savouring the stillness between us. It was lovely that we didn't have the need to speak sometimes.

I checked the clock on the wall. "Time for me to start cooking!" I hauled myself off the barstool and began work on the chicken breasts.

"I'll go and set the table, Bella." I smiled to myself as he made his way into the dinning room and began to arrange the table for dinner.

The Lasagne was ready so I took it out of the oven to let it cool down and moved the dish of gratinated potatoes up a level.

I began to pan fry the chicken breasts a few at a time, making sure they were thoroughly cooked through. I put them all back in the pan now that they had shrunk in size a little and added chopped shallots and crushed garlic. I set it to one side for the time being as I would make the sauce a little closer to serving time. I then began to put together the stuffed mushrooms. I used only a small amount of garlic to put inside the mushrooms. I then layered sliced roasted peppers and then slices of mozzarella cheese. I covered them and then set them to one side. Everything was taking shape very well for the evening meal. The dessert for this evening was going to be caramelised bananas. This would also be done nearer the time. I realised that I would be spending a lot of time in the kitchen this evening. _I will have to work as quickly as possible. _

Esme and Carlisle were the first of the family to arrive home. We greeted each other warmly and they went upstairs saying hello to Edward on the way. Alice and Jasper then arrived shortly followed by Rosalie and Emmett. We all exchanged greetings and they also went upstairs to change.

I put the prepared mushrooms on the top shelf of the oven and checked that the potato topping was browning nicely. I put the chicken breasts back in the pan to slowly bring them up to temperature. Ten minutes later the stuffed mushrooms were ready. I plated them up and Edward took them to the table. The family began to sit down to eat. I then finished cooking the chicken adding white wine, cream and tarragon and stirred in all these ingredients making sure that the chicken was properly covered. As the empty starter plates were being brought out to the kitchen by Jasper, I took out the large dish of gratinated potatoes and put the chicken breasts and sauce in another lipped serving dish. Jasper took out the warmed plates for me returning for the dish of chicken. I took out the dish of gratinated potatoes. Esme began to serve everyone. I would just have time to eat this and then start on the dessert.

"Bella's been asked to go to a business lunch." Edward suddenly announced.

Alice looked up as if she were waiting for him to finish providing more information.

"Mike Newton asked me to lunch tomorrow. He wants to go through some ideas for promoting the cake making side of the bakery." Alice smiled at this information.

"Great idea, Bella. This will help both of you. Mind you I'm sure that when you get the first cake completed, the rest of Seattle society will be well aware of your talents if they're not already." I blushed slightly at the compliment.

"Edward's not too happy about me going out to lunch with him." I stated.

"Can't blame him, Bella." Rosalie added. _What is she talking about?_

"How so, Rosalie?" I asked. _Now I need to know._

"I went o high school with him. He didn't stop asking me out for almost a year. He has a persistent nature. I'm sure you can handle him, Bella. But just in case, mention my name and watch the colour drain from his face. It's a mental picture I'll never forget!" She chuckled to herself.

I nodded. "Thanks for that Rosalie. I won't forget to do that, if I need to." I also chuckled at this point. Edward still didn't look impressed. He stood up and began to take out empty plates, I assumed to distract himself.

Once I had finished, I took the rest of the empty plates out to the kitchen to caramelise the bananas. I quickly put the cooled Lasagne in the fridge. Once the bananas were ready I asked Edward, who would still not leave the kitchen, to get the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and put a scoop on each dish that I had set out. I added a finished banana to each dish and poured a little of the sauce over each banana. Edward put them all on the large tray and took the desserts to the table and set them down. The dessert seemed to be eaten in no time at all. I sat for a moment feeling very tired. I had after all spent most of the day cooking. Not that I minded. It reminded me a little of working in the café.

Emmett and Edward cleared the table for me as I loaded the dishwasher while the coffee pot was working its magic. Emmett got the large tray ready with cups, cream and sugar and waited for the coffee to finish.

"That was a lovely meal Bella. Don't worry about Edward worrying about you going to this business lunch." He turned and slapped Edward on the back. "As Rosalie said bro, Bella can handle him, that's if she even needs to. Chill bro." Edward shot him a glare and made his way into the lounge.

Emmett smiled at me and shrugged his shoulders. _How was I going to ease his mind?_

He set the coffee pot on the tray and took it all out to the coffee table in the lounge.

I finished in the kitchen and took my apron off and made my way to the lounge and deliberately sat on Edward's lap. He snaked his arms around my waist and held me close, sniffing my hair. He seemed to relax a little.

"I'm sorry I'm such a grump. I worry too much sometimes." He kissed my temple making me sink into his hold even more. I had one cup of coffee and said goodnight to everyone as my eyelids were beginning to feel very heavy.

I quickly got undressed and snuggled into the bed. A short time later I heard Edward come into the room quietly. A few minutes later he snuggled up to my back I could feel him harden behind me. I had teased him enough today, I decided. How could I say no to him? My body responded to him almost immediately on contact anyway. He knew that.

We made love gently. He didn't demand any more of me than I could physically give in my tired state. A little later he held me close to his chest stroking my hair humming to me the tune of my lullaby. I feel asleep very quickly.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think with a review. Take care till next time.


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's note; **Many thanks to all of you who reviewed. Those of you who didn't – Why Not? Thank you all who are reading this story and all of you who have only just discovered it and have a lot of reading to do, good luck. Today is Bella's Business Lunch with Mike. Let's see how she copes, shall we? Enjoy.  
**Beta reader; **Many thanks to NatalieRB for your help.  
**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Wednesday

I had obviously slept well last night as I woke up this morning before the alarm went off. I made sure that I turned the potentially noisy thing off so that Edward would not be disturbed. It would be good for him to get some extra sleep this morning. He was due back as work today. There was no knowing how much rest he would get once back at work. I dressed quietly deciding I would have a shower later when he was up. I quickly brushed my teeth, washed and managed to get my hair in some sort of order. I tied it up in a high ponytail. Edward stirred, rolling over to the now vacant spot in the bed. I stood and watched him for a moment. He looked so content and peaceful. _Kitchen, Bella. Get the day started.  
_  
I made my way downstairs and turned the countertop lights on as I reached the kitchen. I set to work on turning the heat lamps on and taking out the food out of the fridge for breakfast. I moved to the dinning room and set the table. _One less thing to think about later.  
_  
As I made my way back to the kitchen I noticed Alice coming downstairs looking a bit under the weather. I waved a cup in her direction, she nodded. I switched the kettle on and put a ginger tea bag in the cup. She settled on one of the barstools as I carried on cooking. When the kettle had boiled she poured the water into the cup.

"Is there anything I can do, Alice?" I looked over to her from the cooker hoping that the cooking smells were not upsetting her system too much. She didn't answer immediately. She slowly lifted her head up and spoke.

"Oh, sorry Bella. I'm not really awake yet. This tea will be fine for now. I might have a piece of toast in a minute." She absentmindedly scooped out the tea bag with a spoon. She let out a deep sigh as she took a sip of the ginger tea.

I finished plating up the food and placed it all under the heat lamps. I went over to Alice and stroked her arm to comfort her. She was very deep in thought and not at all like the Alice I have grown to love like a sister.

"I'm so glad this feeling only lasts a little while. Mind you the doctor said that because it's twins it may take a little longer to ease up." She reached down and held her hand on her stomach, her eyes wide.

"Did you just feel something, Alice?" I noticed that it seemed from out of nowhere she had a little bit of a baby bump.

"I'm not sure, Bella. It felt like a fluttering or something like that." She smiled a little as she held her hand there for a moment longer. "Do you think it is them?"

"I don't suppose it's impossible, Alice. You are a tiny frame after all." I put my arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. "Shall I put some toast on for you? They may be hungry." I nodded toward her stomach. Se smiled at me and nodded.

As I put the toast on Emmett arrived downstairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and sniffing the air. He came to the kitchen not really taking any notice of Alice or me, picked up a plate and began to fill it. As he turned to walk to the table he finally managed to mumble a 'good morning' to the two of us. I looked over at Alice and chuckled. Without food in his stomach, Emmett was not the most communicable person to grace the kitchen. The toast was ready, I buttered it and put it on a plate and handed it over to Alice, who took it gratefully.

The rest of the family were now making their way downstairs. As Jasper plated up his food, he took Alice by the hand and led her to the table to sit beside him. He fed her little bites of his breakfast, kissing her hand with every mouthful she ate. I couldn't help but smile at the interaction.

With breakfast almost over, Rosalie brought out her empty plate and stood in the doorway for a moment.

"Bella, I know that Edward is not too happy about this business lunch today. Don't worry about it, will you?" She seemed to be looking into my face to see any signs of a problem.

"No, I'm not, Rosalie. I just think that Edward is being little overprotective about it. Anyway now I know that I can use you as a safety buffer it would be funny if Mike did say something just so that I can see his face when I mention your name!" I said as I was loading the dishwasher and poured myself a cup of coffee to take to the table.

"I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that, Bella! Anyway, good luck and I hope that the Wedding Cake business goes well for you and him for that matter." She chuckled and turned to go upstairs and get ready for work.  
Esme looked across the table at Alice with a small frown of concern on her face.

"Alice, are you sure you want to go to work today? I'm sure the girls can cope without you if you need to rest up for today. You need to make sure your getting plenty of rest." She looked over at Carlisle as if for backup. We all knew how stubborn Alice could be at times.

Alice glanced over at Esme and Carlisle and smiled. "Don't worry. I thought I would go in a little later this morning. I can work on my designs at home this morning and then get Charlie to take me in for the afternoon. I will take it easy I promise." She leaned into Jasper's shoulder and took a deep breath, shutting her eyes. She seemed to be in another world this morning.

I finished my coffee and sure as eggs are eggs, Edward was now awake and ready for breakfast. He had made it down just before the last of the food had not quite reached past its best as far as I was concerned. He greeted me with a kiss and poured himself a cup of the black stuff. He then plated up his breakfast and sat down at the breakfast bar. I also put a few things on a plate and joined him. It was nice to be able to eat together. We had to make the most of these last few hours as I wasn't completely sure as to when I would see him before going to Phoenix to see my parents.

The rest of the family drifted downstairs again gathering up jackets and umbrellas, saying good bye to us as they left the house. Alice wandered down with a sketch pad in her hand and a couple of pencils. She sat at the table and began to get creative.

Once I had finished eating and loaded my plate in the dishwasher, my curiosity well and truly piqued; I walked over to where Alice sat. I looked over her shoulder to take a look at her drawing.

The lines were simple. A figure with very simple outlines of a long flowing dress. She was adding long narrow sleeves to the design and some kind of detail to the bodice of the dress. I smiled to myself at the way she drew with such ease and with a few simple lines she had created something.

"That's beautiful, Alice. Is this for one of your designs for New York?" I sat down next to her and waited for an answer.

"I'm not too sure if I will put this in for New York. There are some designs that I keep in another folder. They're just ideas that I play around with to help me come up with other designs. I think this is too classical for New York. I'll have to show you some of the ideas I've got for New York. They're a lot more modern and up-to-date than this. They like to see something unusual from new designers."

"You are very talented, Alice." I got up from the chair and wandered back into the kitchen to begin the cleaning up process.

"You know you are very talented too, Bella. You can create things as well. Your talent is no less than mine and don't forget it. We'd be lost without you now. Wouldn't we Edward?" The last comment was made without her even looking up at her brother.

He looked up at me from his seat and grinned. "She sure is Alice. Talented I mean."

I replied to his comment by sticking my tongue out at him. _Edward and his dirty mind!  
_  
"That's why I gave her the job of taking over the Wedding Planning business. I knew that was something that would be safe in her hands."

"Right." Was all he said.

"And that's why it's such a good idea that she works along side Mike. He is looking out for his reputation as one of the best bakeries in Seattle and I know that Bella will be the most sought after cake decorator in Seattle. It's a win, win situation. And there is nothing to worry about Edward. Okay?" At this point she looked up at him with a slightly stern face as if to challenge him to answer back. He didn't.

I reached over and put another pot of coffee on and finished wiping down the work surfaces. I could feel Edward's eyes watching me as if he was waiting for me to say something. _I am not even going to go there.  
_  
"I'm going to check on my e-mails before I go, Bella. The next time I look at them it may take me a day to get through them." I nodded to him. He slid off the barstool and reached out for me, pulling me to his body. I let out small sigh of surprise at the gesture. He gazed into my eyes intently for a moment and then leaned in and kissed my mouth. I shut my eyes and let his scent encircle my head and rested my hands on his shoulders. As he pulled away and grinned at me in his disarming way, his eyes said that all was right in our private little world.

I watched him as he walked up the stairs and disappeared into the bedroom.

I caught Alice with a smile on her face. "What?" I asked, intrigued as to what her interpretation of our moment was.

"You have both got it bad haven't you? Good." She went back to concentrate on her drawing.

"What do you mean by that?" I retorted.

"Nothing, Bella! Just saying that's all." She answered not even looking up at me this time.

I shook my head slightly and huffed. The workings of Alice's brain, was sometimes a complete mystery. I poured my self another coffee and took one out to Alice. I then opened the diary and turned to Thursdays date and jotted down a few ideas for the menu that night. That would be the last evening meal I would cook until Monday evening. I smiled to myself at the thought of not really having to worry about cooking for a few days. I was not going to be corralled into cooking when I got to Phoenix.

Lunch time for Edward approached a little too fast. I went upstairs and checked in on him.

"Is there anything in particular you would like in your sandwich today or will you be happy with anything?" He looked up from his computer.

"Anything, love. I'll be down in a minute. Just closing this down." I made my way back downstairs and took out various ingredients with which to make a sandwich for him. I thought I'd give him the works. BLT and a fresh cup of coffee. Alice wasn't quite hungry just yet so I said that I would be happy to make hers a little later on.  
Edward sat and began eating his lunch. I decided that this would be the ideal opportunity to go and have my shower and do my hair. I picked out a fresh pair of jeans that didn't smell of cooked food and a light blue blouse that would not be too casual. I dried my hair and let it fall loose, just clipping up the sides of my hair to keep it out of my face. I made my way back downstairs to find a note book and pen to put in my purse. _It's always a good idea to take notes at a business meeting.  
_  
Alice gave me a quick glance up and down and nodded her approval. Edward did the same only more to himself than directing the nod to me_. At least he hasn't told me to put on a shroud! _Once he finished eating he stood to take his plate and cup to the sink.

He made his way back to me snaking his arm around my waist and leaning in to kiss my lips. He then released me and took my hand to lead me into the hallway. He grabbed his jacket and put his arms around me again this time out of Alice's sight. As we stood in the hallway by the front door, he moved me backwards a couple of steps. I felt my back touch the wall as he gently held his body close to me, cupping my face with his hands.

"I'll see you soon, my love." He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Don't work too hard, Edward." I said as he kissed my nose.

"I'll be thinking of you." He said gazing into my eyes.

"And I'll be thinking of you, my darling." I whispered. He found my lips and kissed me gently as first. I parted my lips wanting to taste him one more time before he left.

I could feel my torso flush as a result of the sensuous kiss. _He knows exactly what this does to me. He tortures me in the most amazing ways.  
_  
Just before it became too much for him, he pulled away from me and in one swift movement, as if taking a band-aid off so that it hurts less, he turned, opened the front door and was gone. I stood in the hallway for a moment to get my breath back before going back to Alice.

"Can I make your lunch now Alice. I will be going quite soon. If you don't want to eat now I can put it in the fridge for you."

"No, don't worry, Bella. I think I'll get something on the way to the Boutique. I'm not really sure what I want. It's just one of those days today. Sorry." She looked at me apologetically.

"Don't be sorry, Alice. From what I understand this is how it is for pregnant women for a while. You'll soon get your appetite back and then I won't be able to make enough food for you." I chuckled to myself, visualising her double the size she is now.

The doorbell chimed. I checked the clock in the kitchen. I was just before one o'clock.

"Looks like Mike's here. You get your things together and I'll get the door." Alice was already in the hallway by this time and I heard her open the door to Mike.

"Bella won't be a moment, Mike." She made small talk as I gathered my things for the afternoon.

I made my way into the hallway and stood next to Alice to greet Mike. I reached out my hand and shook his.

"See you this evening then, Alice. Take care." I gave her a peck on the cheek to say goodbye.

"I will, Bella. You too." She looked at me and nodded in Mike's direction. He waved to her.

Charlie was just pulling up in the drive to take Alice to the Boutique. He nodded to me as I got into the front passenger seat of Mike's car. I wasn't sure but I thought that I detected a slight look of confusion in his eyes. I smiled at him and gave him a small wave to hopefully put his mind at ease. He nodded again and held the passenger door open for Alice.

"So, how are you today, Bella?" Mike asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Very well thanks, Mike. How about you? Is the bakery busy?" I turned slightly to watch him answer.

"Yes, it is. But fortunately they can cope without me for a couple of hours." He replied, smiling.

"Good. So where exactly are we going? You didn't say yesterday." I inclined my head slightly to one side.

"You didn't ask. Very trusting of you. We're going to a little place that I've been going to for a number of years now. Not far from town. They do lovely home cooked food. The sort that your mother might make." His face seemed to light up at the prospect of eating there.

_Not my mother that's for sure._ I watched out of the window as we made our way out of the city and only a short time later we pulled up at a diner.

He held the passenger door open for me as I go out of the car and led me up to the door of the diner, his hand resting on the small of my back. He pushed the door open and we were immediately greeted by a very well built and cheerful man in his fifties.

"Mike! We haven't seen you in a while. What brings you here? Can the bakery survive without you?" He chuckled and looked over to me and smiled. "So who's the young lady then, Mike?"

"This is Bella. Bella Swan. She is a business associate. Bella decorates wedding cakes. We bake them and Bella here, makes them presentable for the wedding day." He spoke with a certain amount of pride in his tone.

"Really!" He held out his hand to shake mine. "Hello. My name is Bob and my wife in the kitchen is Sarah." He hadn't yet let go of my hand and looked down at it for a moment. "Yes I can see why you're good at decorating. Lovely small hands and nimble fingers. Pleasure to meet you Miss Swan."

"And you Bob." I smiled back at him. He finally let go of my hand.

"Hey Sarah! Mike is here!" He called out in the direction of the kitchen. Her head popped around the corner of the swing door.

"Hi Mikey! The usual?" Mike nodded and Bob led us to a booth.

We sat down with Mike sitting opposite. I felt quite relaxed. The owners were very friendly and had obviously known Mike for some years. I was intrigued.

"So how long have you been coming here, Mike?"

"Erm, must be the best part of thirteen years. I would come here with my dad as a treat once a week. It would usually be a Saturday when I would go to work with him to help out and earn a little pocket money." He smiled warmly at the memory.

"You haven't said much about your dad. Is he retired?"

"No, Bella he died two years ago. He had a massive heart attack." He looked down at the table for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, Mike. I can't imagine loosing a parent at such a young age." Bob walked over with two cups of coffee. He set them down and smiled at us.

"It's okay, Bella. We had great times together. He taught me everything I know about the baking business." He offered me the cream jug. I nodded and he poured some into my coffee for me. He then poured cream into his own cup.

"Did it help that it was his business?" I asked.

"Actually, no. I had to start from the bottom like everyone else at the bakery. He wanted me to learn the business inside out. I think he hoped that one day I would take over. Although I only took over when he died, I had been helping him with the paper work some time." He took a sip from the cup.

"What about your mother?"

"Sorry, Bella. I haven't seen my mother for many years. She left when I was about eleven. She always accused my father of the loving the bakery more than he loved her." He looked a little uncomfortable as he spoke.

"It must be hard when you're running your own business. It's not so easy to switch off at the end of the day." I said as I took a sip of my coffee.

Bob walked over with our order. Well, correction, Mike's order. I had no idea what it was. He placed the plate in front of me. I was greeted with the aroma of a delicately spiced Chicken Butterfly, homemade fries, a green salad and beautifully turned mushrooms and tomatoes. I smiled and looked up at Mike who seemed to be waiting for my comments.

"This looks and smells wonderful. Now I can see why you come here."

"Not just for the food, Bella. Bob and Sarah have looked after me for so long now that it's like they're my adopted parents. Bob's been good enough to help me with the business side of things if I got stuck. He has a wealth of experience on running his own business. They've been here at least thirty years." He looked up at Bob and nodded to him. Bob headed back in the direction of the kitchen.

"Wow. With this kind of food it's no wonder they're still here keeping customers happy. Does Sarah share her recipes?" I looked up from my plate

"I really don't know I don't think anyone has ever been brave enough to ask her. Why do you ask?"

"I'm always looking out for new recipes to try out." I took my first mouthful of food.

It was lovely.

"Enjoy cooking do you?" He was also tucking into the food on his plate by now.

"Well, yes. That's my job. I cook."

"Oh, who do you cook for, your family?"

"Well, I suppose you could call them that."

"You mean the Cullens?" He looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yes. I'm employed as their cook." I sat back for a moment and had another sip of coffee.

"Oh, so that's why I had to pick you up from their house. I was wandering about that. Obviously I knew by your name that you were not actually a member of their family as such. I know that they have an unusual set up, with their children still living their and their son-in-law."

"Actually the set up works very well. They are a very close and happy family. They are a pleasure to cook for. Since leaving college I can happily say that I have never been more appreciated." I tried not to sound too defensive.

"Well that wouldn't be difficult to see why." He said with a grin.

"Sorry. What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Bella. If you cook as well as you decorate cakes then there is no way they would ever want you leave and cook for anyone else." He said sincerely.

"That's very kind of you to say, Mike."

"So, are you up for homemade apple pie and what do they call that stuff crème something." He couldn't find the right word at that moment.

"Anglaise. Crème Anglaise, Mike."

"That's the stuff. Tastes good though."

"Yes, please. I'd love to taste Sarah's version of a classic."

Without a single word Bob cleared the plates and in the next move brought over two plates of dessert.

"Umm, delicious." I said quietly as I took the first mouthful. "I will definitely have to talk to Sarah before we go."

"I'll have a word with Bob when comes over next."

"So, what did you want to talk about? After all this is meant to be a business lunch."

"Sorry, got a bit sidetracked. You're very easy to talk to, Bella."

"Thank you. That's something you have to be able to do when you work in any line of catering. Being able to communicate with people is essential. So, I have one question for you Mike?"

"Yes, anything, Bella." He looked me directly in the eyes.

"Why have you not thought before about making cakes to order?"

"Huh, well. When I took over the bakery my father had always just run it as making bread. Plain and simple. Then he began to try out new things, in bread of course. I'm not sure if it was because he didn't feel adventurous or what but he never did go into the cake making side of things. When I took over the business I just didn't see the need to change that. We had survived all this time without changing anything. It wasn't until Mrs Whitlock contacted me that I though it might actually be a good idea. I suppose you could say that I'm lazy. It is obviously going to be quite easy to get this established because now we have you on board and you have your connections with the Cullen family."

"How does that make any difference?" I asked, my eyebrows raised.

"Bella! Do you not realise who it is you work for? They are one of the top ten influential families in Seattle. They can decide to eat at a certain restaurant one week and within days every other wealthy family in Seattle want to eat there too. The decisions they make about everything in their lives has a bearing on all of the businesses in Seattle. Did you know that the bread that is delivered to the house comes from my bakery?"

"No, I didn't know that? Well, that's good isn't it?"

"Well, of course it is. But it also puts the pressure on all the other bakeries to do better and maybe one day another bakery will do better and then we will no longer be sending our bread to the Cullen household, someone else will.

This was the first time that I had taken in completely the influence that the Cullen's had in the city. Everything that they bought and where they bought it from could either make or break a business literally overnight. I was now a part of that decision making process. Of course going to Mike to have the wedding cakes made would be the ideal time for Mike to take the plunge now with the idea. It was a safe bet.

I sat quiet for a moment to fully absorb this information. I, Bella Swan, now had the power to make or break businesses. The responsibility of that was huge. I certainly could not treat it lightly.

"Are you okay, Bella?" He looked over to me a little concerned.

"Um yeah, Yes, I'm okay." I wasn't sure what I was saying at the moment.

"You didn't really know who it was you were going to work for did you? Do you realise how envied you are by other people in your position. I understand that they went through at least five cooks in as many months before they had finally found someone perfect for the job. I now, of course, know that you are that person. You are very lucky, Bella. Where you buy the groceries from, right down to where you buy the salt and pepper or where you buy the caviar from is watched by all of the social elite of Seattle." He reached out at this point, across the table and touched my hand with his.

I hadn't noticed at first that he was touching my hand. When I re-focused I looked down at his hand resting on mine and slowly moved my hand away.

He looked up at me with concern in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have done that. I just….." His voice trailed off as he looked down at his empty plate and pushed it to the end of the table. I assumed that was a signal for Bob to come and clear the table, as Bob turned up not thirty seconds later to take the empty plates away.

"Bob, could we have two coffees please and Bella was wondering if she could talk to Sarah about the meal." He stated without any hesitation.

"Well, of course. I think Sarah could take a break now as things have quietened down a bit. I'll get those coffees and get Sarah for you. I know she'd love to say hello properly, Mike." With that he walked over to the kitchen and disappeared behind the swing door for a moment. He came back over to us with a small tray of three coffees and Sarah following close behind.

"Hi, Mike dear. It's so good to see you again. Did you enjoy the meal?" Mike and I nodded. "So, Mike, introduce me to your lovely friend then."

"Sarah this is Bella Swan. We are in business together. I've recently taken up the opportunity to make cakes to order. Bella orders them from us and then decorates the cakes to the customer's requirements. We're starting with wedding cakes."

"Wow, wedding cakes. That's no mean feat. Have you always decorated cakes Bella?" He bright blue eyes sparkled, waiting for my answer.

"Umm, no. I went to catering college in Phoenix and moved up here some seven months ago now. I'm actually employed as a full-time cook."

"Oh, really? How interesting. Who do you work for dear?" Her eyes were still sparkling in anticipation of my answer.

"Umm, I..I work.." I was actually having difficulty in saying the name right this minute.

"Bella works for the Cullens, Sarah." Mike came to the rescue without hesitation.

"Oh, my gosh! So you're the one that everyone is talking about!"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Now I was really starting to panic.

"Mother's Day, my dear. You were at the restaurant with them weren't you?"

"Well, yes." I noticed that Mike's eyes had grown wider hearing the confirmation.

"Exactly. You're as good as family from what I've heard. I'm sorry but the Cullen family, you must realise, do hold a very important position in the city. Mind you they don't act like it. From what I hear they are very down to earth and very approachable. Unlike some of the other families. I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of the other families tries to make you a better offer of salary and try to coax you away from the Cullens." She said with a little chuckle.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of doing that. I would never do that." I retorted.

"So it's true." She looked at me intently.

"What Sarah? What have you heard?" Mike was now totally intrigued.

"Oh, I don't think I should repeat it. It's for Bella to say, dear. For all I know it's just tittle tattle and there's no truth in it. Bella and the family are the only ones who know the truth behind the rumour. But I will say one thing, you two are very suited." With that last comment she patted my hand and left the table. I hadn't even had time to ask her about the recipes. But then again now that she knew who I worked for, she probably wouldn't want to share those secrets anyway.

"What was Sarah talking about, Bella. I will understand if you don't want to tell me. It is none of my business anyway. I'm sorry but you seem to be in shock. Shall I take you back now?" His voice seemed a little distant as my mind almost went blank.

"Oh no. I'm fine Mike. Really. I just had quite a lot of information to process. So there's a rumour going around is there? Well, I know who it came from because she was in the restaurant that day and came over to our table and spoke to Esme."

"Esme?" He looked puzzled, as if he were trying to work out who Esme was and where she fitted into all of this.

"Yes. Mrs Cullen. Dr Cullen's wife."

"Oh, I see." His eyes were wide.

"If the rumour has reached out here, I'm surprised that you haven't been told already." I looked up at him with a sheepish smile.

"It seems that I don't talk to the right people."

"Well, Mike. I'm going out with Edward."

"Edward, as in Edward Cullen?" His eyes were even wider now, if that could be possible.

"Yes."

"Wow. I thought he was engaged to me married." His tone was a little tight.

"No, that finished a while ago."

"So you and he are…" He voice became quite small and I could see that he was absorbing this new piece of information.

"Yes, we are." I looked over to him and couldn't do any thing else other than smile because that's what happened whenever I thought of Edward. I would smile.

"I sure hope he knows how lucky he is. I hope you'll be very happy Bella." He said in almost a whisper.

"Well, I know how lucky I am and yes I am very happy, Mike"

"Good. Well let's go to the kitchen and see if Sarah will part with any of her recipes with the woman who cooks for the Cullens, eh?" He seemed to have relaxed a little.

"Okay, thank you." I answered.

We left the table and Mike led me over to the kitchen. He pushed open the swing door and called out to Sarah. "Sarah we're going in a minute. While I settle the check, Bella wanted to ask you something." He gestured for me to move into the kitchen a little further.

"Okay, dear. Don't take so long next time to come and visit!" She called out as he left the kitchen. Sarah walked around a corner of the kitchen and stood close to me with her hands on her hips. "So what did you want to ask me, Bella." I couldn't quite work out if she was pretending to be serious or if she actually was.

_Just ask her Bella, what have you got to loose?_ "I wanted to ask you about the spices that you use in the Chicken Butterfly recipe."

"Well, seeing as it's you. Here." She grabbed a piece of paper and pencil and jotted down something, folded it and handed it to me. "As long as you tell the Cullens where you got it from, I'm happy. It's a huge compliment to me that you enjoyed the food and would like to cook it yourself. All the best, Bella." She reached out her hand to shake mine.

"I may well have to pop by sometime and try something else on your menu." I smiled.

"You do that dear and bring that lovely young man of yours with you next time. It wouldn't hurt to give the diner a little boost." She said winking at me.

I smiled back and quickly put the piece of paper in my purse. I turned and walked out of the kitchen to join Mike, who was talking to Bob.

"Ah, there she is!" Bob exclaimed. "You take care of yourself, Bella. It was good to meet you. Hope all goes well with the business partnership. I know Mike won't let you down." He reached out his hand to shake mine but instead brought my hand up to his lips and kissed the back of my hand gently. I smiled at his gesture of respect.

Mike held the door of the diner open for me and then opened the passenger door of his car. I slid in and buckled the set belt. Mike got comfortable and started the car up and pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the city and home.

The return journey was more silent than the outward journey. As we pulled up the to the house, I unbuckled the seat belt and half turned toward him. He mirrored my movement.

"Thank you Mike for a lovely lunch. Don't worry. All the wedding cake orders I get will be passed on to you to fulfil. When the first cake is ready we will have to organise to take a picture of it and start to build up some kind of portfolio. That would give us both something to show potential customers who may be outside of the 'inner circle' of Seattle." I chuckled at how pretentious I sounded. In all fairness I knew that Mike deserved the publicity and I was only too happy to give his bakery my stamp of approval.

I gave him a wave as I walked back into the house, shutting the door and hanging up my jacket, going to the kitchen without a second thought, washing my hands and tying an apron on. I took the Lasagne and the starter ingredients out of the fridge and warmed up the oven to put the Lasagne in to re-heat. I prepared the starter I set that to one side to be grilled a little nearer the time. I checked the time. The family would be coming home soon.

I set the table ready for diner and began to cook the starter. Not ten minutes later Esme and Carlisle arrived home shortly followed by Emmett and Rosalie and then Alice and Jasper.

I plated up the starters and took the plates out to the table. I returned to the kitchen to probe the Lasagne. It was almost up to temperature and browning nicely. I cleared the table of the starter plates and cutlery and took out the warmed dinner plates.

The lasagne was finally ready. Esme served everyone, saving a portion for me. I appreciated the though but wasn't sure that after the delicious lunch, I could actually eat anything too heavy. I whipped up the cream and took out the ramekins of chocolate mousse from the fridge. I placed a spoonful of cream on each mousse and sprinkled a little orange peel for garnish. As the main meal was finished I collected the plates and large dish and took out the chocolate desserts. This was when I decided to join the family.

"So, Bella. How did the lunch go?" Rosalie was the first to ask and was obviously eager to hear my reply.

"It went very well. I have even managed to get a recipe from the owner Sarah and she is happy for me to use it as long as I tell you that it is her own recipe. She is a wonderful cook."

"So what agreements have you made as far as the business is concerned?" Alice asked.

"I will be ordering the cakes via the bakery. I will be promoting the bakery as much as possible and once we have the first cake ready, we will make up a portfolio of the cakes that we make from now on. This will help those who haven't seen our work before to get an idea as to what we are capable of." I sat back and smiled. I could not think of a better way of explaining it without causing offence. This family meant too much to me to make it sound like I was using their name.

"Well done, Bella. Oh and did you need to use my name at all?" Rosalie asked tilting her head to one side.

"No actually, I mentioned Edward's name and that was it. Virtually the end of any potentially awkward situations." I grinned at her.

"So, he's more afraid of Edward than he is of me?!" She looked a little disgruntled.

"I think any man would be if faced with Edward protecting Bella." Emmett said grinning from ear to ear. We all laughed at this comment.

I cleared the table and set the coffee pot on and began to load the dishwasher. I then set my plan into action.

**Not Quite The End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Go on you know you want to. Review!!! Hope you enjoyed it. There is more to come of this day. Take care.


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's note;** So here is the rest of the chapter for Wednesday's events, that's why it's a little shorter than usual. Hope you like it. It's just a bit of fluff to end the day. Enjoy and please give me your opinion of it with a review.

**Beta reader; **Many thanks NatalieRB.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Wednesday continued……

I set up the tray for coffee and took it into the lounge and set it on the coffee table.

"You're looking very pleased with yourself, Bella?" Rosalie looked at me quizzically. _She noticed me happy so she can drive._ That was the total amount of reasoning I had about this idea.

"Actually would you mind coming into the kitchen for a minute, Rosalie. I wanted to ask you something?" I motioned for her to follow me where we could talk more privately.

She followed me without any hesitation. Once in the kitchen I explained what I had in mind.

A few minutes later, we set the plan into action. I explained to the family that we would be returning soon and headed for Rosalie's car.

Not long later we arrived at our destination. She found a good parking spot and said she would wait for me in the car, sparing me from any embarrassment. I gathered up my important cargo and walked toward the building. Walking through the large double doors, I made my way over to the front desk and waited for a minute.

"Can I help you?" A very cheerful woman of about forty asked. She was wearing a name badge with the name Paula printed on it. I could hardly believe that I was standing in the hospital where Edward worked.

"Yes, Paula. I would like to speak to Dr Cullen." I suddenly realised that I needed to clarify which Dr. Cullen. "Dr Edward Cullen, please. In ICU." I waited for her reply.

"One moment please." She picked up the phone and punched in some numbers.

"Hello, Lindsay. It's Paula in main reception. Yes, is Dr Cullen available please?"

There was silence for a moment as she waited for a reply. Paula smiled at me politely.

"Yes, Lindsay. He is? Okay, hold on." Paula looked up at me and asked, "Who can I say is asking to see Dr. Cullen?" She gave me another small smile.

"Bella." I replied, smiling back at her.

"Her name is Bella, Lindsay." Paula didn't seem too impressed.

A moment later Paula spoke." Oh! Okay then. Yes, straight away."

Paula looked up at me as she put the phone down. "You can go up. Please take the lift and go to the third floor. The reception desk is on the left as you come out of the lift." She said, suddenly full of enthusiasm.

"Thank you Paula." I replied, turning to make my way over to the lifts.

"You're welcome!" Paula called out as I reached the lift and pressed the up button.

The lift arrived and I stepped in and pressed the button for the third floor. The stainless steel cube moved gently up towards the third floor. I was now beginning to feel a little nervous. I had the feeling of butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I shifted from one foot to the other. It felt like an age for the lift to reach its destination. As I arrived the lift stopped and the doors slowly opened.

I looked down to the floor to make sure that my footing was secure as I stepped out of the lift. I took one step forward over the threshold and bumped into someone. Well, not just someone. My someone. It was Edward. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly.

"I can't believe you're here." He whispered, burying his face in my hair and inhaling deeply.

"I have something for you." I held up the bag. He looked at it with raised eyebrows.

"Is that what I think it is?" He grinned at me, making my knees go weak.

I offered him the bag and he took it, opening it up and looking inside. "It's food!"

He looked very pleased. He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me to walk with him down the hallway. We walked past the reception desk, toward a small staff kitchen area. He pulled out a chair for me to sit on at the small table. I watched him as he took out the containers of food. He opened the larger of the two containers.

"Bella! Lasagne! Thank you so much." He quickly put the contents of the container on a plate using a spoon and put the plate in the microwave oven to heat up. He then opened the second container and made an appreciative noise. "Umm. Chocolate mousse. You know you're spoiling me don't you?" He looked over to me lovingly.

He took a spoon out of a drawer and set the mousse and spoon on the table.

"I don't think I am, Edward. You deserve to eat well even if you're not at home. Besides I didn't want you to miss out on two of your favourite foods." He walked over to me and kissed my lips gently. The microwave oven signalled that the food was ready. He quickly took out a knife and fork from a drawer and opened the oven door.

He took out the plate with the steaming Lasagne on it. He brought the plate up to his nose and sniffed the food.

"That smells good." He said, pulling a chair round the table to sit next to me.

He reached out to hold my hand and began eating his meal. His face looked relaxed and his eyes seemed to glaze over. _I haven't noticed that before. Wow, maybe we should eat in bed sometime. That would be very interesting._ Right this moment I could happily take him to bed. He looked very sexy in his scrubs, with a far away look in his eyes.

I wondered how many times I would be allowed to do this for him. "Would it be okay if I do this again sometime? If you're too busy I could always just leave it in the fridge over there, for you."

He looked up at me, having taken the last mouthful of the meal. "That would be great Bella. Just let Main Reception know that you're coming up and I can meet you if I'm free. Make sure you put my name on the boxes so if they are in the fridge no one else touches them. I know what they're like in this place. Nothing is sacred unless it's labelled." He grinned as he pushed the plate away from him and reached for the dessert. He finished that within minutes.

"I suppose I'd better get out of here. Rosalie is waiting for me in the parking lot." I gathered together the empty containers and put them back in the bag to take home.

"That was good of Rose to bring you over. Thank her for me won't you?"

"Absolutely. I know my way here now, so I'll be able to bring myself next time."

"Good. Then you can spend a little longer here." He smiled and stood up from the table.

He enveloped me in his arms again and kissed me a little harder this time. I parted my lips and welcomed his tongue with mine. I brought my hands up to his head and raked my fingers through his hair. He pulled me closer to his body.

The sound of a polite cough, from somewhere in the room, pulled us out of our moment. Edward ended the kiss and stepped back from me, holding me into the side of his body and acknowledged the person who had entered the room. I blushed slightly, recovering from our embrace.

"Tom, this is Bella. Bella this is Tom." Tom nodded to me and I nodded back.

"So, this is the lovely Bella. Pleased to meet you. I just wanted to make myself a cup of coffee, Edward. Sorry to disturb you both." He moved forward towards the kettle, on the countertop in the corner of the room.

"No, it's okay. I was going anyway." I said as I grabbed the bag and began to make my way out of the room. I smiled at Tom and Edward followed me down the hallway to the lift. He pressed the down button.

"Thank you again, Bella. That was a lovely surprise. I'll ring you tomorrow. Sleep well." He leaned toward me again and kissed me on the forehead. The lift signalled its arrival and I turned and stepped into it. I gave Edward a small wave as the doors shut.

I gave a sigh and once the lift got me safely back to the ground floor I smiled at Paula on the way out and made my way back out to the parking lot to find Rosalie.

As I opened the passenger door, Rosalie was leaning back against the headrest with her eyes shut listening to music on her IPod, ear buds firmly in place. As I shut the door she opened her eyes and looked over to me.

"I take it he enjoyed the surprise?" She disconnected herself from the music and turned the engine on.

"Yes." I said sighing. "Edward told me to say thank you to you for bringing me over here." I placed the bag on the floor in front of my feet and buckled myself in.

When we got back home I unpacked the containers and put them in the dishwasher and set it off. Everyone had already gone to bed. I thanked Rosalie once again and we both made our way up to our rooms to go to bed.

**End of Chapter**


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's note; **Many thanks for the reviews of the last two chapters. I know that the last chapter was shorter than my usual marathons but as I have said before, Edward deserves to have chapters devoted just to him and Bella together. So here is the next chapter. I have given you the events of Thursday and Friday, up to the point of her departure to Phoenix. Enjoy and take care.

**Beta reader; **Thank you NatalieRB for being my sounding board.

**Disclaimer; **Unfortunately I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Thursday

I woke up this morning and instantly smiled. I thought about my little mercy mission to the hospital the evening before and hummed a little tune to myself. While I brushed my hair I looked in the bathroom mirror and smiled yet again. It felt like nothing was going to wipe the smile off my face today.

I had a fairly easy day ahead of me. Jessica would be here to clean and all I had to worry about was cooking the evening meal. The free time I had today meant that I would be able to get on with making more flowers for the wedding cake.

This was a task that I actually found very relaxing and so I looked forward to it.

Washed, dressed and ready for the job of morning breakfast, I made my way downstairs. No one was up yet. _At least Alice would have had a good night's sleep._

I set the coffee pot on, turned the heat lamps on and set about making pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon, today. As I set the table I made sure that there was a selection of fresh fruit as an option for Alice.

The coffee was almost done. Esme was the first to arrive in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Bella dear. Did you sleep well?" Her voice was bright and warm.

"Good morning, Esme. Yes thank you. You?" I held up a cup and gestured toward the coffee. Esme nodded.

"Yes, thank you. So, what was it you got up to last night with Rose?" An expectant smile graced her face.

"I wanted to surprise Edward at work. There was enough food left over, so I thought I would take him something home cooked." I turned from cooking to take in her expression.

"What a wonderful idea, Bella. No doubt he was pleased to see you." A broad smile on her face now.

"Yes, he was, Esme. I met a couple of people in the hospital while I was there." Turning my attention back to the cooking.

"Who did you meet, dear?"

"There was Paula, in main reception and Tom in ICU."

"Oh, yes, Paula. She's been working there for quite some time. Lovely woman. Tom is a very nice man. I've met him a couple of times at charity functions. That reminds me Bella. I will have to ask Edward about the one coming up in a few weeks. He hasn't been to the last few functions; they were not something he wanted to go to at the time. But now he has you, Bella. I'm sure he would love to go with you on his arm. You would like to go wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would go if Edward wanted to. I think it certainly is one of those occasions that you need to be with the right person to feel comfortable to attend."

"You are so right, Bella." I placed the last of the cooked food under the heat lamps.

"There, Esme. Please help yourself." As Esme plated up her food, I took the coffee pot into the dinning room and set it on the table.

"Thank you dear. Don't forget yourself will you?" She said taking her place at the table.

"I won't Esme." I clicked on the kettle and made myself an herbal tea.

Next to arrive in the kitchen were Emmett and Rosalie with Carlisle following behind a short time later. Esme mentioned the forthcoming charity function to Emmett and Rosalie.

"Of course there'll be food, won't there?" Emmett asked as he made his breakfast selection. This was always the first priority for Emmett to attend any function like this.

"We're going anyway, Em." Rosalie chided him. "We should all go as long as Alice is up to it. Bella, you're going aren't you?" Rosalie asked. She took her plate into the dinning room and set it down on the table, smiling at Jasper and Alice as they made their way into the kitchen.

"As long as Edward is, yes." I replied.

"That's settled then. We will go as one big family. It'll be so much fun." Rosalie looked over to me and smiled, her eyes twinkling.

I joined the rest of the family with a plate of scrambled eggs. I was wondering what I would wear to this function. Prom Night was a long time ago for me and I definitely didn't have anything in my wardrobe for something like this occasion.

Alice looked over to me. As if she could read my mind she smiled at me.

"We'll need to go shopping." She announced. "I will certainly need a new dress to fit over these two." She held her hand at her stomach that seemed to be getting bigger everyday. "Bella doesn't even have a dress suitable for this occasion."

I looked at her with a slight grimace on my face. She furrowed her eyebrows at me.

"Do not give me that look, Bella. You want to look your best for Edward, don't you?" _Oh yes, she knew just the right thing to say in order to get her own way._

"Yes, Alice." I conceded. "You are right as always. I look forward to going shopping with you. Obviously not this weekend as I'm in Phoenix. Any time after I get back. You name the day, okay?" I let out a small sigh, hoping that no one heard it.

"Well, done, Bella. Well said. It might be a good idea to organise it for a Friday, as you have the rest of the day free after breakfast is over." Looking at me, awaiting a reply.

"Yes a Friday will be fine, Alice. You'll be coming with us won't you Rosalie and Esme?" I glanced over in their direction.

Rosalie nodded. Esme looked up from her coffee cup and smiled at me. "Bella, I have a whole selection of dresses for occasions like this, that I've bought over the years. I won't need to buy another one. You girls enjoy yourselves. What I could do is meet up with you for lunch and make sure that Alice puts her feet up and eats. I know too well what she's like when she goes shopping. There is no stopping her!" She smiled knowingly at Alice.

I smiled at her and nodded. It would be good to spend some quality time with the women of this lovely family.

It was time for everyone to get ready for work. I cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. As everyone left for the day I opened the diary up to today's page. I had already jotted down a couple of ideas for the evening meal. As this would be the last evening meal I would cook until Monday, I would use up as many things left in the fridge as possible minimizing waste.

I found slices of cooked chicken, vegetables that included sugar snap peas, broccoli and there was left over cooked bacon from this morning. Those ingredients would be enough to make a chicken and pasta creation, with fresh herbs and Parmesan shavings. I had sufficient ingredients to make a starter with tomatoes and Mozzarella, avocado and Parma ham. I quickly wrote down in the diary the ideas so far. For dessert I decided to make mixed fruit meringues, as there would be quite a lot of fruit left to go rotten if not used. As I made my final notes I looked at the menu and smiled. Nice and easy today, Bella. I set myself the task of preparing the fruit as this would take a while. I settled down at the breakfast bar and began to peel and slice the fruit into a bowl. As I worked I squeezed lemon juice over the fruit so that it would not brown.

Jessica arrived at the house and made her way to the kitchen. She sat down next to me on a barstool.

"Hi, Jess. Help yourself to a coffee." I lifted my hands to show her that they were somewhat busy.

"Thanks, Bella. Would you like one too?" She asked as she poured.

"Please, Jess. So, how are things?" Jess placed a cup of coffee in front of me.

"Good. James wants to take me away on holiday next month. If I write a note for Esme would you make sure that she gets it? I will only be gone for a week. He wants to take me to Hawaii." I glanced up to see her face beaming.

"Than sounds great, Jess. A bit of sunshine and relaxation." _Lucky Jess._

"Umm, and some quality time together. It'll be good to get away from the daily routine. Will you be going away anytime soon?"

"Well, I'm going to see my parents this weekend." I looked up at her. She was frowning.

"I mean going away with Edward, silly." She retorted.

"I doubt it, Jess. I've got wedding cakes to worry about at the moment." Turning my attention back to slicing and dicing fruit.

"How many cakes do you have on order?"

"Well, I have another one to have ready for July and then of course there's Rosalie and Emmett's cake to see to and another one for September."

"I see what you mean about getting away. Could be a difficult thing to organise." She finished her coffee and added. "Right, I had better get to work. I'll see you in a while."

With the fruit preparations done, I put the covered bowl of fruit in the fridge. I washed my hands and set out the equipment I would need to make the sugar paste flowers. I worked quickly, finishing the necessary amount of white roses. I then worked in the right amount of food colouring to make pale pink marble effect roses. I shaped the sugar paste into another selection of open and closed blooms and set them in the box with the others.

The box was now full. I had to stop. I made a note in the diary for Monday to source silk flowers and leaves, which would save a lot of time later on when I finished the cake. I tidied away the equipment and wiped down the work surfaces. My phone began to ring. I reached for it checking the caller ID. It was mom.

"Hi, mom. Everything alright?"

"Oh, yes, Bella. I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay your end. You are still going to arrive tomorrow afternoon aren't you?" Her voice sounded a little hesitant.

"Yep, no problems this end. I have a couple of meetings first thing in the morning, so I'm going to pack tonight. Make sure I'm organised."

"Meetings? You'll have to explain that to me when you get here. It seems that you have so much news to tell me. How is Edward?"

"Very well, thanks mom. He's at work. I won't actually see him until Monday now."

"Well you know the old saying, Bella. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. We'll pick you up at the airport as arranged then. Take care. See you tomorrow, sweetheart." She actually sounded happy for me.

"Okay, mom. Love you."

"Love you too sweetheart. 'Bye."

"Bye mom."

As I put the phone down I realised for the first time how saying that I wouldn't see Edward until Monday actually made my stomach churn. I'd never felt anything like it before. Is this how it feels when you can't be with the person you love for a few days? The pain seemed to reach my chest. It tightened and my breaths shortened. I shut my eyes to try and re-focus. I breathed deeply.

"Bella, Bella are you okay?" Jess broke me out of my daze.

"Huh, oh, Jess. Yes I'm okay." I was lying.

"Are you sure? You look paler than usual" Her look was one of genuine concern.

I smiled feebly at her. "Yes, really. I'm fine. I'll make lunch, shall I?" I poured the last of the coffee for Jess and flicked the switch on the kettle to make tea for me. I then pulled out some items from the fridge to make lunch.

"So what will you do this weekend? Have they got anything planned for you?" Jess asked as I made sandwiches.

"Well, they haven't said anything but no doubt I'll catch up with friends and neighbours I haven't seen since I moved to Seattle. I don't suppose anything has changed in seven months." I shrugged.

"Not like your life, hey Bella?" She looked across the counter top and noticed the box of sugar paste flowers. "Oh, Bella, can I have a look?" She pointed to the box.

I moved it over towards her. "Of course. Just don't open the box. It needs to be kept air-tight." Jess nodded and peered through the clear lid. I placed the plated sandwiches in front of us and sat down.

"These are beautiful Bella. You are so clever. Did you learn all of this at Catering College?" She took a bite of her sandwich.

"Yes, there were so many different sections to the course. When I tried cake decorating I found that I was good at it. It's great that I can put the skill to good use now." I took a bite out of my own sandwich.

"I suppose when you get married, you'll want to decorate it yourself because no-one else will be able to do the job well enough." She looked up at me grinning.

"I can't see me getting married for some time yet, Jess. There are so many things I want to achieve before that." I stated.

"What kind of things? Surely you can still achieve things even if you're married. It certainly hasn't stopped Alice or Rosalie for that matter." She had a point.

"I suppose your right, Jess. Anyway marriage is still something that is far away in the future. Who knows what can happen in the meantime."

Jess shrugged her shoulders and got down from the barstool and put her cup and plate in the sink. "I'd better get back to the cleaning. See you when I've finished."

I smiled at her and nodded finishing my lunch. I put the few items in the dishwasher and washed my hands to make a start on the evening meal. I prepared half the food for the starters, cutting the large tomatoes in half and slicing the mozzarella. I placed them on a baking tray and covered it ready for later. I then made a syrup, adding freshly squeezed orange to give the sauce some depth, for the fruit, setting it to one side to cool before I poured it over the fruit and put the whole lot back in the fridge.

I set the oven to preheat, ready for the dessert. I then started to make the meringues. With the mixture at the right consistency I put some of the mixture in a piping bag and piped nest shapes onto a baking tray covered in baking paper. This again was a job that needed a steady hand. No problem. As I counted the meringues nests and smiled to myself as I had made enough to include Edward. _No matter, I'll keep this for him and leave it as a surprise for when he gets home Friday. _

Jess had finished cleaning. She quickly wrote out the note for Esme. She handed it to me and I put in the diary and made a note of it under today's date. Standing at the kitchen doorway, Jess said goodbye. "I'll see you next week, Bella. Have a lovely time with your parents. I take it you're not going to be doing any cooking when you visit?" She smiled.

"I hope not but if I know my mom I may have to give a helping hand. She doesn't enjoy cooking that much." I chuckled as Jess gathered her coat and bag and gave me a wave as she left the kitchen. Moments later the front door shut and I was alone again.

I slid the tray of meringues into the hot oven and turned the heat down for the cooking process. I waited until they were cooked and then turned the oven off so that they would finish cooking as the oven cooled.

As I had quite a bit of time before I had to start on the evening meal I decided to pack my bag for the weekend. The good thing about the trip was that I wouldn't need to take too many clothes with me and they would be thinner clothing that I would need to take anyway. I pulled out my large weekend bag and began to pack up in my bedroom. The only things I had in Edward's room that I needed to pack were my toiletries and this I could do in the morning quickly. I took out a couple of pairs of jeans, t-shirts and blouses and just in case, a dress and packed them carefully in the bag not forgetting underwear and shoes.

I carefully carried the bag downstairs to Edward's room to keep it out of the way until Friday morning.

Heading back downstairs, I checked to see if the oven had cooled in the meantime. It would need just a little longer. I filled the kettle up with water and switched it on to make myself a tea.

My phone rang. It was Edward.

"Hey, you." I sighed.

"Hi." He said in almost a whisper. "How are things?"

"Fine I guess." I said wistfully.

"You guess?" He retorted.

"Yep. I realised today that I wouldn't see you now until Monday. I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you. Next time you go to Phoenix, I'm coming with you." He sounded resolute.

"No problem. Once I've told my parents about you, they will want to meet you." I smiled to myself. "Esme told me today that there's a charity function coming up in a few weeks." I added.

"I'll go if you do." There was no hesitation.

"I think we should. Rosalie has already said that it's going to be fun with all of us going." I smiled.

"Yeah, we'd have to get a table just for the Cullen family." He chuckled.

"Alice has lined me up for a shopping trip." I grimaced at the thought of it again.

"For a new dress I don't doubt." He answered.

"Yes, for her and for me." I replied.

"Good. I look forward to that. It'll be a black tie affair so I'll have to get my suit out of the bag again. I haven't worn it in a while." He said as if he were thinking out loud.

"Yes, Esme said that you haven't gone to any for some time."

"And now I am. I'm looking forward to it already." It sounded like he was smiling. "I have to go, Bella. I'm sorry." I could hear raised voices in the background.

"No problem. Take care. I love you." I could feel my eyes stinging.

"I love you too. See you Monday." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Till Monday then. 'Bye, Edward." And now a lump in my throat had formed.

"'Bye, Bella." And he was gone.

I shut my phone, fighting back tears. I pulled myself out of my thoughts, giving my head a little shake and wiping my eyes with my apron. I took a deep breath and checked the oven again. It was now cold. I took the meringues out and detached them from the baking sheet and stacked them in an air-tight box for now.

I turned my attention to the file that I would need to take with me in the morning, double checking the details of the two meetings. Happy with everything, I put the file next to the box of sugar paste flowers that I needed to drop off at the bakery.

The family were beginning to come home from work. I quickly put the water on for the pasta and put the grill on for the first course. I placed the tomatoes topped with Mozzarella under the grill. As they were cooking I sliced the avocados and arranged them on small plates, adding Parma Ham slices.

Everyone sat at the table talking animatedly. The tomatoes and their topping were ready. I arranged them on the plates and set them all on a tray and took them out to the table. A round of thanks came from everyone as they began to eat.

I placed the pasta in the boiling water and lowered the heat. I quickly stir fried the chicken and the vegetables in a little oil. With the pasta cooked and the stir fried ingredients ready, I put it all together in a large dish and tossed it together, adding a little pesto and olive oil. The main course was ready. I took it out to the table with a large serving spoon and collected the empty starter plates. I returned to the table and ate with the family. Alice managed to corner me about a colour and design of dress that would be good for me for the charity function. I admitted to her that I really didn't know where to begin with the whole idea. Her face lit up at the prospect of having a reasonable amount of control as to what I would be wearing for this occasion. Rosalie looked over to me giving me little smile. I wasn't sure but I think she showed a hint of sympathy with my situation.

I cleared the table after the main course was finished and went back to the kitchen to organize the dessert. I set the meringues on small plates and put large spoonfuls of the mixed fruit into the centre of each nest. I quickly whipped some cream, placing it in a bowl. I put on a pot of coffee as it seemed that this evening we would be staying at the table for that. Everyone seemed very relaxed and comfortable. I placed the desserts and cream on the large tray and took it out to the table and served everyone. I kept an eye on the coffee pot as I ate my dessert and collected it once it was ready. Jasper kindly took out the cups for me. We sat and exchanged news and Emmett shared a few jokes. _I will definitely miss them when I'm in Phoenix._

With the meal finished, I loaded the dishwasher and set it off. We wished each other a goodnight and I made my way upstairs to have a shower and set out my clothes for the morning.

Friday

After a good nights sleep I was ready for a busy day. I got ready for the day quickly dressing in jeans and a t-shirt for the time that I would be cooking breakfast. I took a clean apron from the drawer in the kitchen and began to cook everything that needed to be used, for breakfast. Friday mornings were always a feast day. Emmett was the first down this morning. His eyes were wide with the excitement of the choice the lay before him. He quickly plated up and sat at the table. I took in the coffee pot to him. He nodded his thanks to me, his eyes smiling at me while he chewed enthusiastically. The rest of the family began to make their way down and plated up their food. I sat down with a small amount of food on my plate just to help settle my nerves before the meetings this morning.

"I hope you have a good flight, Bella." Carlisle said as he looked up from his coffee cup at me.

"Thank you, Carlisle. I just hope that the meetings this morning don't go on for too long that I'll miss my flight."

"How many meetings do have, Bella?" Alice asked, a slight frown on her face.

"Only two Alice. Don't worry about it. If they start to get too chatty I'll just have to say that I have another appointment. I need to stop off at the bakery as well with the next batch of flowers."

"Why don't you ring Charlie and ask him to get here half an hour earlier? He won't mind considering how tight you are for time this morning. You could make your first stop the bakery as they're open so early in the mornings." She suggested.

"Good idea. I'll do that now." I left the table, taking a few empty plates with me.

I rang Charlie, using the kitchen phone. Charlie was only too happy to collect me early. I promised him a cup of coffee on his arrival, which would give me time to change and get my things together.

Half an hour later with breakfast finished, the dishwasher loaded and the family getting ready to leave, Charlie arrived in the kitchen. We greeted each other and I poured him a coffee while he made himself comfortable. I quickly put together the last meringue nest and mixed fruit and set it in a bowl and covered it, putting it back in the fridge. I wrote out a quick note for Edward, that the treat in the fridge was for him and using a fridge magnet, stuck it in the middle of the door. _He's bound to see that when he looks for something to eat._

I changed ready for the meetings, earning a cheeky whistle from Emmett as I came downstairs. I chuckled at him and Rosalie nudged him in the ribs. They all wished me a good weekend as they left for work. After the mad rush the house feel silent.

"I had a phone call from Edward yesterday." Charlie informed me as he finished his coffee. "He asked me to take you to the airport after the meetings, Bella. So you had better get your bags and bring them down so I can load them in the car."

"Thank you Charlie. I won't be a minute." I couldn't believe how thoughtful Edward was to do that for me. _I am very luck to have him looking after me. _I slipped off my high heels and went upstairs to get my bag, putting the shoes back on when I got back downstairs. Charlie smiled at me. "You're travelling light, Bella?"

"Summer clothes don't take up so much room, Charlie. Right, I'll just get my purse, the box and file and I'm done."

Charlie picked up my bag and walked out to the car and waited for me. I carefully made my way to the car placing the file and my purse on the seat next to me, the box safely in my lap.

We stopped at the bakery first. I had the key to the room ready. Charlie held the door open for me and I made my way into the building. Mike's office door was shut so I made my way straight down the hall to the room. I put the finished flowers into one of the storage boxes and placed it on the shelf.

"Hi, Bella." It was Mike. I jumped slightly, thankful that I had just put the box of flowers, safely on the shelf.

"Hi, Mike. You okay?"

"Yes, thanks. You look good. Going to a meeting?" I blushed slightly at the compliment. He had caught me unawares with the large smile across his face.

"Thanks Mike. Yes I have two this morning and then I have to make my flight."

"I won't keep you then. I suppose I'll see you sometime next week." He nodded towards the storage boxes.

"Yes, you will. I'll have to get the last of the flowers done and then the real task of decorating can begin."

"Okay. Well, have a good weekend, Bella." He smiled again.

"Thanks, Mike. See you next week." I locked up the room and he walked me to the car, giving me a small wave as Charlie drove the car out of the parking bay.

We arrived in good time for the first meeting. Mrs Peterson greeted me at the door.

"It's so good to meet you Miss Swan." She shook my hand warmly, her blue eyes sparkling. She gestured for me sit down on the large couch in the lounge. She sat down at the other end of the couch giving me her full attention. " Now, I understand that you have another meeting to get too, so I won't delay you any more than I should." _Wow, news travels fast. I will have to get used to this._

"Yes, thank you. Now what did the bride have in mind?" I asked. Mrs Peterson quickly gave me a run down of the requirements and handed me a picture that they had cut out of a wedding magazine to give me an idea of the size and the flowers that were required. No problem. The notes were finalised, we shook hands and the meeting was over.

I left the house happy that the meeting had gone well. Taking everything into consideration the next meeting should go just as well. It seemed that I could not put a foot wrong. But I certainly was not going to put it to the test.

As we arrived at the next address I straightened out my skirt and jacket as I knocked at the door. I was met by a maid this time. She ushered me into the lounge to wait. Moments later Mrs Taylor entered the room with her daughter in tow. _She will_ _definitely be the epitome of a beautiful bride._ Her long blonde hair tumbled down her back in large waves, setting off her dark blue eyes and sunkissed complexion. I could just imagine her wearing one of Alice's creations. We all sat down and I got my note book and pen ready to take notes. We ran through everything, reasonably quickly, even though the bride-to-be changed her mind twice. Final decisions were made and an agreement finally reached. Everyone was smiling as I wrote down the details and we said our goodbyes.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat back in the car. Charlie smiled at me in the rear-view mirror and I nodded. I was ready to go to the airport. The drive to the airport gave me time to let my hair down and brush through it, easing the ache at my temples from having my hair tied up in a bun for the last couple of hours. I sat back to relax for the last part of the journey.

Charlie dropped me off as close to departures as possible handing me my bag. I asked him to take the file and empty box back to the house for me as soon as he could. He smiled and wished me well for the flight and the weekend. Making my way to departures I just had enough time to get a bottle of water from a vending machine.

Finally I was on my way to Phoenix.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Many thanks for reading. I welcome any feed back via reviews. Next up is Phoenix and news travels fast. Well, we are talking about the Cullen family after all. It looks like Bella is going to enjoy her weekend to a certain extent.


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's note; **As a reward to all of you who are amazingly, avidly reading this story, I am going to give you the next chapter. Yes, two chapters in one weekend! Thank you so much for the reviews. I will be replying to all of you shortly but as you will understand, writing takes time. I just want to let you know I am already working on Bella's homecoming. Not sure when that will get posted though. I keep having to stop to take a breath. Edward is just too much!!

**Beta reader; **Many thanks NatalieRB.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday continued…

I finally arrived in Phoenix. The flight was uneventful and I managed to shut my eyes, resting for the journey, to recover from the busy morning.

As the doors of the plane opened, I didn't bother putting my jacket back on, thankful that I was wearing a blouse and nothing thicker. Feeling the heat was wonderful. I hadn't realised how much I had missed it.

After I retrieved my bag I made my way through the crowds, seeing mom and dad almost immediately. I couldn't exactly run to them in the heels I was wearing, so I sort of shuffled quickly taking care not to trip.

Dad took my bag and I threw my arms around them both.

"Oh, Bella it's so good to see you." Mom gushed as she stepped back from our hug, looking me up and down for a moment. "You look so grown up!"

I laughed in response. "I am grown up mom. If you mean the clothes, well I don't wear these everyday of the week. Only for meetings. I went straight from the last meeting to the airport."

"Come on, Bells. Let's get to the car and get home." Dad put his hand in the small of my back and ushered us out of the airport building. Mom explained to me how my grandmother was doing, since they had visited her. She was definitely much better and being cared for very well by the people living in the retirement apartments close to hers. I was happy to hear the news.

As soon as we pulled up outside the house, all my childhood memories came flooding back. _I thought you had to be away from your childhood home longer than just seven months to feel this way._ I gathered my things from the car and smiled to myself as we entered the house.

I took my weekend bag straight to my old room. As I opened the door I half envisaged my room to have been redecorated and turned into a hobby room or something like that. Mom had a habit of taking up the latest craze in arts and crafts. I remember one year it was macramé. The items she made were everywhere. Plant pot holders, wall hangings even a shopping bag. The next fad was making things out of salt dough. Mind you that was quite a good one at the time. She made so many unusual things out of the salt dough that local people wanted to buy them! Then there was jewellery making, painting, making clothes. I smiled to myself. This is where I got my creative ability from. My mom. I mentally thanked her. I certainly would not be doing the things I am now, if it had not been for her.

I quickly unpacked my bag and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. _Much more comfortable! _After a bathroom visit I made my way to the kitchen where mom was finishing making me a snack.

"Here, Bella. A oasted cheese sandwich. I take it you still like them?" She looked at me a little anxiously.

"Yes, mom. I still like them. We don't eat caviar everyday you know." I chided. Mom laughed and dad pulled a face. He hated caviar.

"So, Bella." Dad began. "Tell us about your new job then." I made myself comfortable at the kitchen table and began to give them a run down of how I got the job. I explained about the city house and the house in Forks. The Cullen family, the impending wedding and the addition of twins in the New Year, the kind of food I cooked and the cake decorating. Finally I told them about Alice doing a fashion collection for a show in New York. Then mom put her hand on mine and looked at me intently.

"You've told us everything but the one thing we really want to hear about, Bella. Edward. Tell us about Edward." She smiled at me as my eyes glazed over just thinking about him.

"Well he's a Doctor in ICU and he's hoping to pass the board for surgery. His father was a surgeon at the same hospital and is now a Consultant. Carlisle says that Edward has steady hands just like him." Mom and dad nodded encouraging me to continue.

"Edward's tall. Very tall. I think he's a bit taller than you dad." Dad's eyebrows shot up at this information. "He has beautiful green eyes and bronzy coloured, thick hair. He plays the piano and composes his own pieces. He can cook, he knows about wine and lots of other things I can't even remember right now." I was beginning to feel flustered just trying to relay the information about him.

"And you love him." Mom interrupted me, smiling.

"Yes, I do, very much." I answered without hesitation.

"I take it he loves you just as much, Bella?" This time dad caught my attention with his question.

"Yes, he does, dad." I smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'm happy for you Bells. I think Tyler will be mortified at the news though." He said, as if it were an after thought.

"Why on earth would Tyler need to know about me being with Edward? I haven't seen Tyler in years." I retorted, slightly confused.

"He's back in Phoenix, Bella. His mother hasn't been very well. I'm not too sure how long he's staying, but he rang two days ago and asked about you." Mom added.

"Oh, well I suppose it's nice of him to ask. So, what are we going to do this weekend?" I wanted to change the subject quickly.

"Well, dad decided to book a table for dinner tonight but you don't have to get changed just yet. I'll make some ice tea and we can go and sit out in the shady part of the garden." Mom got up from the table and gestured toward the garden.

That's exactly what we did. Mom chatted about the friends and neighbours in the area filling me in with the latest news. Dad disappeared into the lounge to watch a bit of TV and no doubt have a nap before dinner.

A little while later mom checked her watch and said that we had to get ready to go out. I went in and got changed. I decided to put on the skirt I had worn earlier, with a fresh blouse and brushed through my hair, leaving it down. I slipped back into my high heels, picked up my purse and joined mom and dad in the hallway. They had also changed into something a little smarter. We looked good and were ready to go and eat.

Once we arrived at the restaurant it seemed that everyone who knew me, turned to look at me. It felt a little strange, as if I was on display and mom and dad had made sure that there would be an audience. I had to work at keeping myself composed and not blush. As we walked through the restaurant, I stopped and said hello to people I knew well and smiled at familiar faces.

"What's going on mom? Why is half the neighbourhood eating in here?" I whispered as we made ourselves comfortable at our allocated table. It felt like the Twilight Zone had come to town.

"Mom may have just mentioned to a couple of people that you were coming to visit." Dad answered. "You've done so well for yourself, Bella. We're very proud of you, you know. Considering who you're working for, it's not surprising is it?" He added.

"What do you know about the Cullens then dad? Please enlighten me. You seem to know at lot more than I've told you." I narrowed my eyes at him and he smiled broadly at me.

"I Googled them!" He announced proudly.

"Since when do you have a computer at home?" I asked amazed.

"Since mom decided to drag us into the 21st century and get a computer to 'surf the net'." He replied, smiling.

I chuckled at this information. Although dad had to use one a work, having one at home was something he had fought against but obviously he had now relented.

"You'll have to give me your e-mail address so we can e-mail each other then." I said, smiling. "I'll get Edward to set me up with an account on his computer. It would probably be much better to let you know what's going on that way than by quick phone calls." I added, spreading my napkin across my lap.

Our food arrived. "So, dad! As you've Googled the Cullens, what did you find out about them?" I challenged.

He looked up from his plate and thought for a moment. "Well Dr Cullen senior has done very well for himself. Did you know that he was one of the youngest ever surgeons to have worked at the hospital? Apparently he is very talented. Mrs Cullen is an interior designer and decorator." He looked over to me for confirmation. I nodded and he continued.

"Emmett Cullen has his own car dealership and from what I can gather he has a car repair shop as well. Alice Cullen has her own clothes shop and of course we know about the fashion line and the wedding planning business that you're helping with." He finished, turning his attention back to his plate of food.

I sat now, no longer eating, my mouth hanging slightly open at all the information he had gleaned on the family.

"And of course you've told us about Edward. Did you know that they own other homes in America and a small island off the coast of South America somewhere?" He added, with raised eyebrows.

"No, I didn't know that, dad! That's never been mentioned in any of our conversations. Then again they just aren't the sort of people to show off what they've got. They really are very down to earth about things and they all work very hard." I replied, conveying how much I admired them in that one sentence.

Mom spoke for the first time in a little while, placing her knife and fork down on the empty plate. "Do they have a chauffer, Bella?" _What an odd question! But that's mom I suppose._

"Well, yes they do. Actually, it's very convenient. He knows Seattle like the back of his hand and gets me to meetings in no time at all. He reminds me very much of you dad. Dependable and trustworthy." I smiled at him and rested my hand on his.

Dad smiled at me and poured out some more wine for mom and me. The meal was coming to an end. I had enjoyed myself even though it seemed that dad has been studying 'How to be a detective' on the internet.

When we got back to the house and changed into pj's and curled up in one of the comfy chairs in the lounge with a welcome cup of coffee that mom had made. We chatted for a little longer and then I heard my phone ringing. I had left it in the bedroom on the chest of drawers. I swiftly moved to the bedroom checking the caller ID. It was Edward. I sighed as I answered him and stretched out on the bed.

"Hi, Bella!" His voice was soft and warm.

"Hi, Edward. How are you?" I breathed.

"Feeling better now. I caught up on some sleep when I got home. I thought I'd ring you now before you settle down for the night. I found the treat in the fridge. Thanks for that. It was delicious." I smiled to myself visualising him enjoying it. "How was your flight?" He added.

"Good. I got here on time. Mom and dad are fine. So is Phoenix. Nothing has really changed. Well apart from the fact that dad has now installed a computer and is training to be an undercover detective." I chuckled as I shared the last bit of information.

"How so?" His curiosity evident in his tone.

"He Googled the Cullen family." Edward laughed on the other end of the phone.

"I take it he didn't find out anything to worry about?" He asked.

"No, should he have?" I chuckled.

"If there were anything then it would have been about Emmett when he was younger." He teased. "It sounds like something any father would do if they cared about their daughter. I certainly will do when I have a daughter." He added more seriously.

I had no come back for that comment. _Children. He has actually thought about having_ _children. _I shifted on the bed a little.

"Are you still there, Bella?" He asked softly.

"Yes, I'm here." I sighed.

"I wish you were here. I miss you so much." I shut my eyes to picture his face as he said these words.

"I miss you too." I sighed again.

"Shall I ring the same time tomorrow?" He asked.

"If you can." I replied. "You'll be back at work won't you?" I added.

"Usually at this time of the day things are little quieter. If I can't ring for whatever reason, I'll send you a text, Okay?" He answered.

"That's fine." I breathed.

"I suppose I'd better say goodnight. You sound very tired."

"Yes, I am. Listening to your voice is calming me down too much."

"That's good, Bella. You sleep well, my love. Speak to you tomorrow."

"You sleep well too. I love you, Edward."

"I love you, Bella."

"'Bye." I said reluctantly.

"'Bye." He said softly.

I closed my phone and let out a large sigh. Everything was quiet in the house now. _Mom and dad must have gone to bed. _I wriggled under the sheet on the bed and switched off the bedside light. I fell asleep very quickly.

Saturday

I didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next morning. It was a nice feeling not having to get up early and cook. This was what weekends were all about and the fact that I probably would not have to make my own breakfast this morning.

I went to the bathroom. Mom must have heard my movement as five minutes later she knocked on the door and entered with a breakfast tray.

"Oh, mom you didn't have to do that. I can eat at the kitchen table you know." I chided her, yet smiled at the same time, getting back on the bed.

"Yes, I do know that, Bella. I just wanted you to relax a little longer. I don't suppose you get a lot of time to do that when you're working, looking after a large family as you do."

"Thanks, mom. It's very thoughtful of you." She placed the tray on my lap. I took a sip of the coffee as she sat down on the end of the bed.

"So, what would you like to do today?" She asked.

"Well if you don't mind, I'd like to go shopping." I answered as I ate some toast.

"Shopping?! But you hate shopping!" Her voice was full of shock.

"I need to mom. Edward's birthday is coming up and I want to get something while I have time to look. I thought I'd be able to find something here for him." I informed her.

"Oh, well that shouldn't be a problem. You eat up and get dressed and we'll get into town as soon as we can. The more time we have to look, the better." She smiled and left the room to let me finish breakfast and get ready.

Half an hour later I was washed and dressed, eager to go shopping. Dad had organised to go and play golf with a work colleague so he left before we did. We arrived at the shopping mall and parked the car and we began the search for Edward's birthday present. A couple of hours later I had seen a number of items that would make an ideal gift. We stopped to have a bite for lunch so that I could make up my mind.

"I think I've decided." I suddenly said as mom was going over the list of items and vetting their merits.

"What, Bella? What have you decided?" She begged.

"I'll get him the Forzieri cufflinks. The green ones. They remind me of his eyes. He can wear them when we go to the charity function in a few weeks." I smiled.

"Good choice, Bella. They looked very smart." She nodded in agreement.

We finished our lunch and headed back to the shop where I had seen the cufflinks. They were ideal. I paid for them and had the box gift wrapped. Mom had a couple of things she had to get and we did a little window shopping before making our way to the car and back to the house.

When we got back, mom made a jug of iced tea and we sat in the shady part of the garden waiting for dad to get home. Tiredness washed over me as we sat in the sun loungers. I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up some time later, dad was home and mom was fixing something for the evening meal. I wandered into the kitchen feeling truly rested.

"Would you like me to help mom?" I asked.

"Not unless you really want to. I'm only doing steaks and a green salad with a few fries. You could lay the table for me." She replied.

I did and in no time we were sitting at the table and eating a very nice evening meal.

Dad had enjoyed his day out playing golf. He treated it as a form a relaxation rather than a competitive game but he won today anyway. He was pleased that his game was improving.

When dinner was finished and the table cleared we sat down in the lounge to watch a film. Mom selected The Notebook to watch and dad, not liking girlie films as he called them, made his excuses and went to bed. Mom and I sat together on the couch and settled to watch the film with a large bag of popcorn nestled between us.

As usual with this film the tears would begin to build and sting my eyes. Finally my bottom lids would not be able to hold any more tears and then they would start to flow, silently. Mom and I both sat their wiping away tears from our faces by the end of the film. We looked at each other and hugged. Watching tear inducing films was one of our weaknesses. It was another thing we had in common and it was again something I was thankful for. We switched everything off and made our way to our beds. As if by some sixth sense, Edward rang as I snuggled down in bed, later than the night before.

"Hey you." I whispered.

"Hi, Bella. Are you in bed?"

"Uh huh. Just settled down. How are you?" I lay back and shut my eyes.

"Good. We're not too busy tonight, considering it's a Saturday. Did you have a good day?"

"Uh huh. I enjoyed it. It was relaxing. I fell asleep in the garden."

"You did? Good. It means you're getting much needed rest. I know these things." I could imagine him tapping his temple with his index finger.

"Yes Dr Cullen. Thank you for that. Are you managing to get some rest during your shift?"

"Yes, Tom is getting some sleep at the moment and in an hour or so it will be my turn. Oh, I spoke too soon. Sorry Bella we have an emergency. I love you."

"Love you, too." _I just hope that he heard me before the phone went dead._

I settled down to sleep, saying a silent prayer that Edward would get some rest eventually.

Sunday

I woke up to my last full day in Phoenix. The sun was shinning, as usual. The polar opposite of Seattle. I got up before mom could bring breakfast in to me and joined them in the kitchen to eat.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked as I ate my fifth pancake with syrup. I felt like such a glutton.

"Well, we've been invited to a barbeque today. For about three o'clock. Tyler's mom invited us over. A few other people will be there too. That's alright with you isn't it, Bella?" If I hadn't known any better I would have said that mom was trying to set me up with Tyler but now that she knew I had Edward waiting for me in Seattle I accepted that this was just a friendly get together. I nodded in agreement.

I had a leisurely bath after breakfast, relishing being able to take my time. Once I was dry, I spent time moisturising my body with my favourite freesia scented body butter. I dried my hair and left it to hang loosely down my back in large waves. I threw on jeans and a t-shirt for the time being as I would change later before we went over to the Crowley house for the get-together.

Mom and I sat outside for a little while dad disappeared into the garage to clean out the cars, ready for the week. Mom asked me about the wedding cakes that I would be making. I explained to her the partnership with the bakery and that I had a room there that I could work in when completing the final decorations to the cakes. I explained the decorations of the cake that was needed in a couple of weeks.

"So, you're making Rosalie and Emmett's wedding cake for August?" I nodded. "And what is the theme for that cake?" She added.

"Rosalie has decided on native flowers of Washington State. Edward has printed pictures of the flowers for me from the internet, so once I've finished making the flowers for the June cake, I can make some samples for Rosalie to approve."

"What will the colours be?" She asked.

"Well, there's orange, purple, white, pink, red, yellow. If she chooses all of the colours then it will look very summery. I'm leaving it up to her."

"I'm so proud of you, Bella. I worried so much when you decided to move to Seattle. I thought you might end up coming home within the month. What with the weather and all. You really have settled in well haven't you?" I appreciated her honesty.

"Yes, I have. The family have made me feel so welcome. They really are lovely mom." I said smiling.

"I'm relieved that they look after you so well. And Edward makes you really happy doesn't he? I can see it in your face when you talk about him. How do you think you'll cope when you go to this charity social event?" She asked.

"What do you mean mom?" I wasn't sure what she was implying.

"Well, Bella you never have been one to enjoy going out to that sort of thing. It was hard enough to get you to go to prom. It was Tyler who managed to persuade you. Do you remember?" She asked and smiled at the memory.

"Yes, I do. Well, it's different now. I'm meeting so many people now on a personal level due to the work I do so I have to learn to get on with it. Mind you I haven't told Edward yet that I'm not very good at dancing. I have absolutely no doubt that he's good at that too." I chuckled to myself.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Bella. If the man is a half decent dancer himself then all you do is close your eyes and be led. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Do you have a dress for it.?"

"No. That's one thing that Alice is very good at. Buying things. Especially clothes. She's already updated my wardrobe considerably. She called it my wages when she bought me clothes to wear for the meetings. She has so much energy it's frightening! But I can see her slowing down to a certain extent as she's expecting twins."

"Where will they live when the twins are born?" She asked with genuine interest.

"Oh, Esme has all of that planned. She's letting them use the guest bedrooms in the city house. She will probably start redecorating after the wedding in August. They want to stay where they are. In Forks the house is big enough to more or less do the same thing. Either that or I could just imagine they would build a house for them in the back garden." I shut my eyes and smiled.

"It's good that there are still families that are that close. So, you have your own accommodation in both houses. That must be lovely for you Bella."

"Well, mom I don't exactly use those rooms now." I kept my eyes shut. I was not sure what her reaction would be to this news.

"Oh, you mean you…" She trailed off not finishing the sentence.

"Yes, mom." I answered without hesitation.

"I understand. You are both in love. I won't tell dad just yet though. You know how much he worries about you. As you said; you're a grown up now and you're having to make all sorts of important decisions by yourself. Just remember that it's hard for father's to see their little girls grow up and become women who are then looked after by another man."

"Thanks mom. I wouldn't want him to get an ulcer or anything over it." I looked over to her smiling.

Dad reappeared from the garage telling us that it was time to get ready to go over to the Crowley house. I went and got changed into my blue ditsy print dress and heels.

I made sure I had my phone in my purse before we set off. Mom bought a bunch of flowers on the way for Mrs Crowley to show her appreciation of the invitation.

When we arrived at the house, we were warmly greeted by Mrs Crowley. We made our way through to the back garden. It was set up with chairs, tables and sun umbrellas. Tyler was busy organising the food for the barbeque. There were quite a few people there already, mostly neighbours of Mrs Crowley. Tyler turned to see who had arrived. He abandoned organising things for a moment and came over to where we were standing talking to his mom. He reached out to me and drew me into a slightly more than friendly hug. I stood back from him after an acceptable amount of time, not wanting to appear rude. This is what I had feared.

"So, Bella. You look absolutely amazing. Seattle seems to agree with you." He said as he looked me up and down.

"Thank you Tyler. Yes, Seattle is a great place to work." I answered politely.

"Come and talk to me while I get the food under way. I want to hear all of your news." I followed him over to the cooking area and sat down on a chair that he pulled over so that we could talk without having to shout.

"I understand from your mom that you're working as a cook in someone's house?" He began.

"Yes, that's right, I was so lucky to get the job. I was working in a café for a while and then I spotted the job being advertised in the local paper." I replied.

"I thought rich people only advertised in expensive magazines for staff." He asked as he began to place the food on the metal grill.

"Well this family is not your average well-to-do family. They do things a little different to other families in Seattle. So how are you doing?" I hoped to steer him away from any further probing questions.

"Well Sue and I split up a while ago now. She refused to relocate here when mom became ill. So I decided then that maybe she wasn't the right person for me to be spending my life with. Not long after I moved here I found out that she had moved in with some other guy and was not really missing me at all." He said very matter-of-factly.

"I'm sorry about that Tyler." I said genuinely.

"Well these things happen I guess. So do you have anyone special in your life? If you say no, I would be very surprised." He looked over to me and smiled broadly.

"Actually I do. We haven't been together very long but we are getting on just fine." I replied with honesty.

"And does this certain someone have a name? You don't mind telling me do you? Or is it some big secret nobody is supposed to know about?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, no. No secret. Mom and dad know all about him. His name is Edward." I replied.

"Okay, well, good for you, Bella. I'm glad you're doing so well, Bella." He replied smiling again but it didn't seem to reach his eyes.

"Bella! I can't believe it's you. You look wonderful. How are you?" Lauren Mallory, my High School nemesis gushed, as she made her way across the garden towards me.

Even Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Hi Lauren. How are you?" I replied stiffly.

"Very well, Bella. I'll have to introduce you to my fiancée later." She flashed her engagement ring in front of me. _Umm, nice but small compared to Rosalie's ring._

"Very nice Lauren. Congratulations. When's the wedding?" I asked half heartedly.

"We decided to have a Christmas wedding. Romantic isn't it? So, how about you, Bella? I see you don't have a ring on your finger. No one special in your life?" She asked with a certain amount of venom in her tone.

"Yes there is. Don't worry about it, Lauren. If there is anything to know about then you will probably read about it." I quipped.

"I don't see how, Bella dear. Seattle is rather a long way from Phoenix." She retorted.

Tyler interrupted our conversation and asked. "What was the name of your boyfriend again, Bella?"

"Edward. Edward Cullen." I replied, smiling.

Lauren's mouth hung open a little. I knew immediately that she knew the name. She had always kept up with the gossip columns even when we were at High School together. Tyler even gave me a knowing look when he heard Edward's surname.

"Well done, Bella. Who'd have thought it? You're dating Edward Cullen." He said with a certain amount of pride that Lauren was firmly put in her place.

I smiled at Tyler for the affirmation and watched as Lauren, completely lost for words, turned on her heel and headed across the garden to find her fiancée. Tyler smirked at her as she walked away. It felt like one of those moments when you would high five a person for a job well done. But we didn't. We were not in High school anymore. I left Tyler to get on with cooking and walked around the garden saying hello to familiar faces and making small talk. Mrs Crowley seemed to be enjoying herself very much. No doubt she had not had a gathering like this for some time.

We stayed for a few hours and then made our excuses to leave. I wished Tyler and his mom well. Lauren gave me a small smile as we left and I wished her well with the wedding preparations and the day itself. That was one event that I would not be reading about in the Seattle gossip columns.

When we got back to the house we had a nightcap and a coffee and talked about the events of the barbeque. Mom said that she would take great pleasure in making sure that any events that needed reporting about my life, would be safe in her hands.

All I could do was smile at her. Sometimes she was just incorrigible.

I packed my bag ready for the flight home, only leaving out the clothes I wanted to wear for the journey and my necessary toiletries. As I got ready for bed, I put my phone on the bedside table. Within minutes there was a text.

_Bella, my love. Very busy here. I will be glad when this shift is over. Can't wait for tomorrow. Hope you had a great time with your parents. Give them my best wishes. I love you. Sleep well. xx_

I immediately returned my message.

_Edward, darling. I've had a great time. Just want to come home now. See you tomorrow. Take care. I love you too, very much. xx_

I closed my phone and snuggled down in bed, falling asleep only a short time later.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **So that's Bella's weekend with her parents nearly over. As I said before, I have started on the next chapter, Bella's homecoming. In the meantime please review. I love to read what you think about the story so far. You inspire me to keep going. Take care.


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's note; **Many thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. I must be getting something right because you keep coming back for more! This chapter is mainly devoted to Bella's homecoming. I think you'll find that Bella is growing in confidence in more ways than one. Enjoy and take care.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but I thought of this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

Dad knocked, gently, on my door this morning to make sure that I got up in good time to get ready to catch my flight. He had taken the day off work to make sure that I got to the airport safely and didn't miss the plane. My stomach flip flopped with the thought of seeing Edward again. It felt like I had been away for much more than just a couple of days. I had missed his arms around me, his scent and his breath fanning on my neck whenever he held me close. I made the decision that when I got home, unless our work demanded it, I didn't want to go anywhere without him.

I washed, dressed and packed the last few items in my bag, making sure I packed Edward's birthday present. I smiled as I held the box in my hand, thinking of his green eyes looking back at me in just a few hours time. I made my way to the kitchen where mom had already made me a hearty breakfast to set me up for the journey back to Seattle.

Mom looked over to me across the table and smiled. "I'm going to miss you, Bella. Next time you come to visit you make sure that you bring Edward with you. He is something really special to put that look on your face."

"Yes, mom. Don't worry, I'll make sure I bring him with me next time. He sent a text last night and he sends his best wishes."

Mom nodded and smiled. "You will take care won't you?" She took a sip of her coffee and looked at me over the rim of her cup.

"Of course mom. I'm a big girl now, remember?" I chuckled.

"I know that but to me you will always be my little girl and I can't help it if I worry about you. It's my job. Don't forget that we are always here for you." She said giving me a small hug as she made her way over to the sink.

"No mom I won't. Thank you. It's been really good to see you two and catch up." I replied with gratitude.

"But now it's time to go back to Seattle and the man you love." She smiled.

"Yep. It is." I nodded and took a deep breath as I took my empty plate to the sink.

We hugged as dad took my bag out to the car. "It's good to see you so happy, Bella. You're doing a great job. I think you're going to take Seattle by storm. They won't know what's hit them with your creative talents. Alice is lucky to have you in charge of things." She added with pride in her tone.

"Well, it certainly seems to be working out so far. At first I didn't think I could do it but Alice put so much faith in me that I just couldn't let her down. It's going to be fun." I replied.

"Come on we'd better get you to the airport. Dad's getting a bit fussy out there waiting. You know what he's like about being on time for stuff." I smiled at her comment remembering how he would pace up and down if we were not ready to go in time to arrive at our destination at least five minutes early. I took one last look around the lounge as I walked towards the front door. _Home is definitely wherever Edward is._

After a tearful goodbye from mom and a heartfelt hug from dad, it was time to board the plane for Seattle.

Safely back in Washington State I quickly located my bag and began walking through arrivals. I was looking out for Charlie as arranged. A slight wave of panic washed over me as I couldn't see him. I scanned the area and there he was.

My legs couldn't carry me fast enough. There were too many people in the way. My breath caught and I couldn't call out. I didn't need to. He spotted me in the crowd. I desperately moved forward as quickly as safety dictated. _Just a few more yards._ My stomach flipped for what seemed like the hundredth time. I dropped my bag with such force that it continued to slide along the floor in the same direction as I moved. Home.

His arms reached out to me, his eyes were my only focus. From a couple of feet away I launched myself at him as if my life depended on him catching me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms immediately went around my waist. The warm sensations in my body were instantaneously released. I wrapped my legs around his waist, needing to feel closer. _Too many people._ I buried my face in his neck and inhaled deeply.

"Edward, Edward. God, I missed you so much!" I kissed his neck and along his jaw relishing the feel of him. My body tingled like never before. I couldn't stop kissing his face.

"Bella." He said softly, chuckling at my continued onslaught of his face until finally our mouths met for the first time in days. I relaxed my hold on his neck as I felt his hands were now holding me in place against him, cupping my backside firmly.

Yet another indescribable sensation coursed through me as we kissed. I desperately needed to taste him. I forced my tongue into his mouth. Without any resistance my demand was meet. I was completely lost in him. I snaked my hands up to the back of his head and entwined my fingers in his hair, fisting it as our kiss deepened.

My brain registered something that I was now in dire need of. Oxygen. I pulled away from his mouth, taking in a large gulp of air and aimed at his lips again like some demented woodpecker.

"Bella… Bella." He managed to say between rapid-fire kisses. "Wel…come…home."

I finally pulled my head back to take in his face. His gorgeous face, that was awash with emotions just for me. I untangled my legs from around him as he simultaneously moved his hands to my waist, letting my body slide down his. I placed my feet on the ground, sliding my hands down from his neck to rest on his chest. I could feel his heart beating as erratic as mine.

"Let's go home." He said as he bent down and picked up my bag. I leaned into his side, snaking my arm around his waist and placing my thumb into the top of the waistband of his trousers, as we headed to his car.

He brought the car to life and negotiated the first leg of the journey home. I needed to touch him. Not doing so was physically hurting. I reached over to place my hand around the back of his neck and stroke the only part of flesh exposed between the collar of his shirt and his hair. My fingers tingled and the goose bumps travelled further than before. I noticed Edward let out a sigh and he turned his head momentarily in my direction, his face displaying my favourite grin. I couldn't take my eyes away from him. It was as if I had been seeing everything for the last couple of days in monochrome. Looking at him now brought colour into my world again. Beautiful radiant colours.

I didn't move my hand from its place on the back of his neck for the entire journey home. I hadn't even noticed how tight his trousers had become and the discomfort I had caused him. I mentally chided myself for not thinking of how this would be for him after a few days of my enforced absence. But I would soon rectify that problem. He parked and quickly got out to help me out of the car. He reached for my bag on the back seat as I unlocked the front door and he followed me in. Without any hesitation I walked straight upstairs to our room. He followed putting my bag down as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. We stood for a moment facing each other just feet apart but it felt like the width of the Grand Canyon. Too far. The tension between us was now at fever pitch. I closed the gap not taking my eyes away from his.

I made short work of his clothes. They were an irritating barrier to what I wanted. What I needed. He reached his hands to reciprocate my actions but I put his hands gently back at his sides. He watched as I undressed slowly, enough to enjoy his body react to my impromptu performance. Our clothes wantonly scattered on the floor, I reached for his hand and led him to the bed. I placed myself in the centre of it, kneeling and he mirrored my position. I ran my hands up his torso deliberately avoiding his erogenous zones, up to his shoulders and then finally skimmed my fingers down his back. He shut his eyes at the sensation, his outward breath fanning across my forehead causing me to shut my eyes and move forward. I pressed my lips to his chest, administrating feather light kisses as recompense for his patience. The heat radiating between us caused my breath to hitch in anticipation.

He placed his index figure under my chin, lifting my face to his. Breaking the silence that had up until now engulfed us, he spoke softly. "I love you, Bella. Don't ever go away again without me. I just can't handle it. I missed you so much. I…"

I halted his words with a kiss. My fingers entwined in his hair again. He moaned and opened his mouth inviting me in. I accepted. I pulled him down with me as I moved my legs from under me and laid myself out on the bed. We broke the kiss as he lay down, placing his body directly on top of mine. I opened my legs and bent them at the knee, my open invitation to him.

I cupped his face pulling him to mine again and hungrily kissed his face. "I want you Edward. I need you…now."

He grazed my lips with his and licked my bottom lip. As I gasped at the sensation he pushed his tongue into my mouth, connecting with mine and simultaneously pushing his extremely hard length into the only place it wanted to be. I gasped at the feeling of him as we finally connected in the most perfect way. I moaned into his mouth as my muscles tensed around him and began to pulsate deliciously, bringing me to my first gentle high.

"We've been apart to long, Bella." He whispered into my ear as he began setting his pace.

"Yes, too long." I whispered back, kissing his neck and running my hands along the length of his back. He shivered as I brought my hands up to his face and held it still so that I could look at him. His eyes were shut as he leaned on his forearms, focusing on the slightest movement of my body, inside and out. I kissed his open mouth as he breathed deeply, his pace increasing. I writhed under him, my core pulsating around him again, harder this time. "Too long." I whispered as I reached another slightly more intense high.

"Umm. That was good. But I know I can give you more than that." He had set the challenge.

I gently pushed at his body to signal for him to lie down on the bed. As we flipped over, I straddled him, not disconnecting for a second. I sat up on him and looked down taking in his gloriously toned body, flushed from his exertion. His chest was heaving. _Now, it's time for me to take control._ I leaned forward resting my hands on his chest, feeling his heart beat and began to move my body backwards and forwards, setting my own pace. He lifted his hands to my breasts as they moved in front of him, palming and kneading them and pinching at my hardened nipples with his talented fingers. I focused on his reactions to make sure that I didn't miss anything that he needed right now. He moaned gently, gasping for air. As my pace increased I lifted my hands from his chest and placed them behind me resting them at the top of his thighs.

I arched my back, my hair falling behind me, brushing against his flesh. The angle of my body caused another orgasm to course through me, several times more intense than the last. I rode it out for some time, breathing deeply, before I could gather my senses sufficiently to concentrate on him again. I leaned forward again and crashed my mouth onto his, my tongue searching for it's mate. Our tongues fought for dominance until I broke away and levered myself upright again, causing him to groan as he pushed into me even further. I rode him again leaning back and intensifying my movements to give him as much pleasure as possible. I had now come to the point where I could feel the most intense orgasm building and yes, I was going to take Edward with me. I kept up the pace, gasping for breath.

"Bella, I… can't… hold on." He panted, gripping tightly at the edges of the pillow behind his head.

"Then don't. Let go." I demanded as I fell forward leaning on his chest again, my hair falling forward around his body.

An incredible rush coursed through my body as he took over, his hands guiding my hips. He thrust into me just a few times bringing us both to the most amazing high of our love making. I sat upright again as we began to come down from our high, both of us gasping for air. A while later he opened his eyes and looked at me, grinning.

"I get the feeling you missed me, Bella." He said softly stroking my hips and thighs.

"Oh, and you didn't of course." I retorted gently as I ran my hands down his torso, gently dragging my nails along his flesh, making him shudder.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Bella." He reached out to me, pulling my face to his, which meant sadly disconnecting our bodies. As my face got closer to his I tilted my head slightly and kissed him gently.

I rolled over and lay down beside him, holding his hand and entwining my fingers with his. He shifted and rested on his side, twisting a strand of my hair between his fingers.

"I need to get up soon." I stated wistfully.

"Why?" He asked softly.

"From what I remember, I have a family to cook for." I replied in almost a whisper.

"Not tonight you don't. The family are getting something delivered." He informed me, kissing my temple.

"They are?" I looked over to him with wide eyes.

"Yes and we're going out." He stated as he got off the bed and headed for the bathroom. He turned on the taps in the shower and stood in the bathroom doorway looking at me. "So, are you going to get ready, to go out?" _Who am I to argue with this amazing man?_

"Sounds like a good idea." I got up and took the few steps to close the gap between us. He took my hand and led me into the shower. We took our time to wash, touch and kiss each other during our after-play session. It was as sensual as the time we spent in bed together. Our time to just _be_ together.

A while later we stepped out of the shower. Edward wrapped a large towel around my shoulders and one a round his waist. I brushed out my hair and began to dry it. With that done I realised that my other dress was in my wardrobe in my bedroom. Seconds later Edward reached into his wardrobe and pulled out the dress.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. He noticed and smiled. "I brought the rest of your clothes down to this room. I made room in this wardrobe for the time being. You can reorganise space for your things whenever you want to. It makes sense." He shrugged.

I nodded. "And my underwear?" I asked.

"In this drawer." He opened the top drawer of the chest of drawers and there was all of my underwear and t-shirts and the few warmer tops I had. "Thank you. Are you sure I'm not taking up space that you need?"

He pulled on his black, casual trousers and a crisp, white shirt.

"Absolutely not. I have plenty of room to put your things in this room. This is our room after all." He reached over to me and kissed my cheek. "I'll let you get ready and see you downstairs, okay?"

"I won't be long." I turned my attention back to getting dressed as he shut the door.

Ten minutes later, another pair of high heels in my hands, I made my way downstairs into the kitchen, where Edward was sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping on a cup of tea. He gestured to the cup next to his. "Here, I thought you might like this, before we go. Come and sit down." He patted the barstool next to him and I duly obliged. As I sat I slipped on my shoes. We sipped our tea as he told me about the work he did at the weekend. Alice and Jasper were the first to come home from work.

"Bella, it's so good to see you! We missed you. Did you have a good time in Phoenix?" Alice gushed, excitedly.

We hugged each other as I answered. "Thank you Alice. I missed all of you too and yes, I did enjoy myself in Phoenix. I'll have to tell you all about it another time though. Edward is taking me out for dinner."

"Yes, we know." Jasper said, smiling. "He told us in no uncertain terms that you wouldn't be cookin' tonight. Somethin' to do with missin' you and wantin' to have you all to himself!" He patted Edward on the back.

"You look great, Bella. Have a good time tonight!" Alice called out as she went upstairs to get changed, Jasper not far behind her.

We finished our tea and Edward took my hand to help me off the barstool. I picked up my purse and cream wrap as we made our way out to the car. We drove across town to an area I wasn't familiar with. Edward parked the car and we took a short walk to the restaurant. The evening air was fresh and at least it wasn't raining.

Edward pushed the door open when we arrived. We were led to our table and he sat next to me. "Right now I don't want any distance between us. Not even the width of a table." He smiled and rested his hand on my thigh. My flesh immediately warmed and tingled in response to his touch.

"What would you like my love? We have the whole evening to talk. I want to hear all about your trip. Don't leave anything out."

We made our choice and our order was taken. The waiter was friendly and attentive. Edward ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate me being back.

"You don't need to do that." I protest, as the waiter brought out the ice bucket on a stand and placed it next to Edward's side of the table.

"Nonsense, Bella. You are worth celebrating." He filled my glass as our order was brought to the table.

I began the conversation with the meetings of Friday morning. He smiled with pride when I told him that the meetings were a success and orders have been placed. He leans in, hanging on my every word as I tell him about the visit to my parents. He's so close his scent swirled around my head and I lost my train of thought a couple of times. He grinned and repeated the words of my last sentence to help me continue.

"So how did you feel when people were looking at you in the restaurant?" He asked, curiosity in his tone.

"It felt really odd but I didn't mind too much. I knew most of the people there anyway. It was just weird." I shrugged.

"Do you think you can handle being stared at when we go to the charity function?" His question wasn't light hearted.

"Edward, since I started working for the family and met you, my life has done a complete three sixty. I dealt with Tanya didn't I?" I chuckled at the memory.

He smiles at the memory of the evening at the night club as well. "Yes, Bella you certainly did deal with her. So you're not going to be nervous about anyone else?"

"No. You'll be there with me. I'll be just fine. All I need to worry about is what Alice is going to choose for me to wear for the occasion." I rolled my eyes at the prospect.

"Whatever you wear, Bella, you will be the most beautiful woman in that room. It will be the first of many functions we'll be going to, now we're together." He gently rubbed circles on my thigh with his thumb.

I continued with the details of the weekend, leaving out the part when I bought his birthday present. The events of the barbeque were next to be revealed. I explained about Tyler and how he had had a crush on me when we were at High School.

"He's not someone I need to worry about then?" He said, joking of course because he loves to see my face annoyed.

Then of course there's the exchange with Lauren and how her eyes literally turned green at the mention of Edward's name. He chuckled at the thought of his name reaching as far as Phoenix in the first place.

Our meal came to an end and we both had a lovely evening. Today had been perfect. There was no other way I would have spent it. We were together and that was all that mattered.

"Let's go home, my love. I'm looking forward to not going to bed alone tonight." He kissed me gently on my temple, his breath fanning over my face.

I couldn't think of anywhere better, I'd rather be.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **So, Bella is back and Edward is happy again. All is right with the world. Please review your opinions, good or bad as your enthusiasm will make me update sooner.


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's note;** I had a review recently that pointed out an oversight on my part. I had promised the reviewer that I would address this in my note with the next chapter. This is that time. I was asked about the safety aspect of Edward and Bella's 'intimate' moments and the fact that I had not said whether or not they were using a form of contraception. I do not treat this subject lightly as I understand that there are many younger readers of this story and I think it is important that adults who publish on this site realise the importance of the material that they write and the importance of how their stories deal with these issues. I explained to the reviewer that as Bella is 23years old in this story, I envisaged her to be sensible enough to be taking the precautions herself. It is something that a lot of adults do even if they are not in any form of relationship. You just never know when it might happen. Always be prepared. In no way do I believe that not taking precautions is acceptable in this day and age. All my M rated stories are based on characters over the age of consent. Please accept my apology for this oversight and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks to NatalieRB for her continued encouragement.

**Disclaimer;** Unfortunately I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday… three weeks later

Since coming back from my visit to Phoenix, my life had never been so hectic. Today the wedding cake for Mrs Thompson's daughter was ready for collection.

Mike kindly took pictures of it yesterday at the bakery. I took a pale blue sheet with me to use as a back drop so show the cake off to its full potential. The pictures were going to be used to promote the bakery and to build up a portfolio of my work. I understood that so far, orders for cakes had been made because I worked for the Cullen family, but my business sense told me that people liked to see examples of the work that had been done so far, before making final decisions. Mike had said that he would print the pictures off using the computer at work.

The Friday morning breakfast routine was over and I was waiting for Charlie to collect Alice, Rose and me. Our first stop would be the bakery, so that I could oversee the cake being taken away. Mrs Thompson insisted that her own staff collected the cake in one of the vehicles that had been hired for the weekend to ferry guests to and from venues.

This week I had also made a start on the flowers for the next cake. I had a box full of the sugar paste flowers and I would have to get them to the bakery as soon as possible to get them into the airtight storage boxes.

The next stop would be a trip to the city to begin the hunt for dresses for the function in a week's time. Alice and Rose joined me in the kitchen to wait for Charlie to collect us. Charlie arrived on time as always and we made our way to the car.

"I can't wait to see this cake, Bella." Rose said excitedly. "It will give me some idea as to how my cake will look."

"It won't be exactly the same Rose." I reply as we settled in the car. "After I've made some more flowers for the next cake, I'll get a few flowers made up for you so you can choose the colours."

"Bella, I really appreciate that you're doing this. I just know it's going to be absolutely beautiful. Just promise me that if anyone else wants one like it for their wedding, you don't make it exactly like mine." She pleaded.

"Rose! I wouldn't dream of doing that. I won't even include a picture of it in the portfolio. Yours will be the only one of its kind in the whole of Washington State. If I have to, I'll sue anyone who attempts to copy it." We all laugh at this comment but I actually wondered if we could do that.

We arrived at the bakery and made our way into the building. Mike greeted us from his office as we made our way down to my work room.

"I've printed off the pictures of the cake, Bella. You can have a look at them on your way out." He called out.

"Thanks Mike, that'll be great. We won't be long." I reply as we entered the room.

I switched the lights on and I moved over to the storage boxes on the shelving and transferred the flowers from my box to the other and place it back on the shelf again.

In that time Alice and Rose stood transfixed on the cake situated on the table in front of them. It's a rare thing when Alice is lost for words but that is what happened at this precise moment in time. The room was silent.

"Well, what do you think?" A hint of nervousness in my voice. "I'm not getting any feed back. I know for sure you like feed back on your creations Alice! Come on you two!" I frowned at them getting a little impatient.

Alice wiped a tear from her face. Rose just stared open mouthed.

"Okay, so you don't like it!" I said impatiently and exasperated. My confidence was being tested.

Rose walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. "Bella you are the most wonderful cake decorator in the world! I can't even find the words to describe how this cake makes me feel. Why would anyone even want to cut into it? It's just too perfect." She kissed my cheek and stepped back rubbing my shoulder smiling. _Thank goodness!_

Alice finally spoke. "I knew you would be the best person for this job. I'm so proud of you Bella." She walked over to me and hugged me. "I want you to make all of the cakes for the family from now on, including the Christening cake and all the birthday cakes for these two for the rest of their childhood until their twenty one. Deal?" She asked and held out her hand for me to shake. And I did. _As far as I'm concerned that's a foregone conclusion._

Mrs Thompson's staff arrived to transport the cake to its new home. We carefully placed plastic wrapping around it and I supervised the cake being carried out of the building. I reminded the staff that Mrs Thompson had my cell number in case there were any problems. I had already assured Mrs Thompson that I would drop everything and fix anything on the cake so that it would be nothing short of perfect for the day.

Once the cake was safely on its way I returned to my work room to lock up. We walked up the hallway and stopped by Mike's office to look at the pictures.

I tapped lightly on his open door. "Bella, please come in. It's good to see you." He reached out to shake hands with Alice and Rose. "It's good to see you Mrs Whitlock,

Miss Hale. I take it that you're both well?" Both Alice and Rose nodded and smiled.

"So, where are these pictures, Mike?" He handed them over to me. I looked them over, pleased with the results.

"They look good don't they?" Mike said, encouragingly. "The idea of the pale blue background was a good idea of yours, Bella. It really shows the cake off well doesn't it?" Mike beamed with pride.

"It certainly does, Mike. I've left it on the shelf so we can use it for the other cakes." I replied as I handed the pictures over to Alice and Rose for their opinion.

"You're right, Bella. These do look good." Alice began. "Have you got a file to put them in yet?" She added.

"No. I thought I'd get one today as were going to be going shopping." I stated.

"Good idea. We'll have to get one that looks the part. Maybe white with a gold boarder or something like that." Alice suggested. She was right as usual.

I turned to Mike again and smiled. "I'll only need two of these pictures so you can use the rest however you want. We'd better get going now. Alice is itching to get me trying on dresses for this Charity Function in a couple of weeks."

"Oh, you're going to that, Bella?" Mike asks a little surprised.

"Yes, I think we've got a whole table to ourselves haven't we?" I asked, turning to Alice and Rose for their confirmation.

"That's right. We've managed to secure a table for eight." Alice said, smiling at Mike.

"Oh well, I'll see you there then." He said, quietly.

"Oh, you're going are you?" Rose asked a little surprised. "I can't remember seeing you there last year."

"No, I didn't go. We were very busy at the time trying to sort out some financial problems at the time. It was the last thing on my mind but this year everything is different. Business has been very good, partly due to the fact that Bella orders all bakery goods from us and Seattle is well aware of the fact. I'm actually going to be taking on more staff soon in order to cope with the demand for our products." He smiled warmly at me.

"Excellent news, Mike. We've always considered your bakery to be the best compared to others in the city." Alice added.

"Well, we'd better go now." Rose insisted. "It was good to see you Mike." She reaches out her hand to him to say goodbye.

He walked us to the door and waved as Charlie drove us to our next destination.

"Well, what was all that about, Bella?" Rose asked incredulously after a few minutes.

"What do you mean, Rose?" _I really have no idea what she is talking about._

"Mike! What's with him?!" She looked at me astounded.

"Rose, I really don't know what you're talking about. You're going to have to explain yourself a little more clearly." I said, slightly annoyed.

"Didn't you see his face, Bella? I swear he's in love with you!" Rose insisted.

"Rose, don't be so ridiculous! He's become a very good business associate. That's all. He doesn't love me!" The idea was just so ridiculous.

"The hell he doesn't. It was written all over his face. You saw it Alice didn't you?" Rose retorted, turning to Alice for confirmation.

"I'm sorry, Bella but Rose is right. He is in love with you." Alice said sincerely and rested her hand on my arm as if to comfort me.

I looked at their faces. They were not joking. "Oh, my God! What am I going to do now?!" I said, anxiously.

"Nothing." They both said at the same time and looked at each other surprised that they both thought and said the same thing.

"Just keep your distance, Bella. Try not to spend too much time with him. As soon as he sees you at the Charity Function with Edward he will back away. Don't worry. He just needs to see you together with Edward to cool his emotions about you. I can't believe you didn't notice, Bella." Rose said, in a softer tone.

"I feel awful. He's such a nice person." I covered my face with my hands. _This can not be happening._

"There's not a lot you can do about it, unless you want me to have a little chat with him or I could get Emmett to pay him a visit." Rose replied, smirking, no doubt remembering the time when Mike pursued her in High School. This was not the time to get even.

"No, Rose! Please stop it. I'll just try to stay out of his way as much as I can for now. I'm sure your right that after he sees me with Edward he won't give me a second thought." I said trying to sound convinced. _But what if it doesn't work?_

Alice became very quiet and didn't talk for the rest of the journey into the city.

I felt so embarrassed and was relieved when Charlie dropped us off at a convenient place near the shops that Alice wanted to visit. They promised me that they wouldn't say anything more about it. _I just hope they can do that for now._

After an hour of trying on dresses, Alice needed a toilet break. Her waistline had increased so much in the last weeks. She was doing really well but just had to take a little more time than usual to walk around the shops.

Just before we were due to meet up with Esme for lunch, Alice decided on a dress that would still fit well in a few weeks time. It was in her favourite colour, pink. It flared out from the bust line and finished at her mid-calf. Not too long to trip over and not too short for the occasion she was wearing it. Alice was happy and that was the most important thing right now.

Rose had pointed out a couple of dresses to me but I just wasn't sure about them. They just didn't feel right. Alice agreed that we should keep looking.

We stopped for lunch eventually, after Esme sent Alice the third text. Esme had booked a table at a very nice restaurant in the shopping mall. We opted for salads, coffee and a large slice of banoffee pie each, as a treat. Conversation was easy. We talked about the cake that had been collected this morning. Esme said that she had already had a phone call from Mrs Thompson, saying how beautiful the cake was and that when her son had set the date for his wedding, they would be recommending me as the cake decorator for that wedding cake. It seemed that for the time being I would have to limit myself to decorating one cake a month. That would have to be reviewed in the near future.

We said goodbye to Esme once she was happy that Alice had eaten and rested sufficiently to continue with the search for my dress.

I had a feeling that Rose was becoming a little tired of trying to find a dress for me so she decided to buy herself one. It wasn't something she had intended to do but she couldn't resist this dress. It was a simple black halter neck with a deep cleavage. Diamantes were arranged in a delicate design under the bust and up to the 'v' of the neck line. It was perfect for Rose. The full length skirt of the dress skimmed her curves finishing in a fish tail that trailed slightly behind her.

We arrived at the last shop. I had decided that if I didn't find something in this shop then I was going to give up and not go to the function. I felt completely defeated about the whole shopping trip. It seemed that there was not a single dress that would be okay for this important occasion. When we walked into the shop, the manager must have recognised Alice. We suddenly became the most important people she had ever served.

The predicament was explained and the hunt began. The manager, Tina, brought out a rail with all the evening dresses she had in stock, hanging on it. At first it seemed that it was just a jumble of colours and designs. Alice sensibly removed the dresses that were not the right colour, first. She then removed the dresses that were the wrong shape for my figure. We were finally left with a choice of six dresses. All of them had potential. I was told in no uncertain terms, that I had to try each one on. I did as I was told.

We all decided that the fourth dress was the one. It was floor length which would be fine for me as I would be wearing high heels for that night. The colour was a rich forest green. It reminded me again of Edward's eyes. It was made up of layers of chiffon, criss-crossing the front of the 'a' line skirt. The bodice was delicately gathered at the bust with a deep cleavage, finished off with tiny shoulder straps.

Everyone was silent when I tried it on and twirled around to show how it looked from all angles.

"It is so you, Bella" Rose said sighing. "Edward will love it. I'd date you myself if I were a man." She added, sending us all into fits of laughter.

Our shopping trip was over and had turned out to be a complete success. I had even managed to find a folder suitable to be used as the Wedding Cake portfolio. We were all very happy as we returned to the car and a smiling Charlie. We settled into the back seat and breathed out collectively, feeling exhausted.

When we arrived home the decision was made that we would stay at the city house for the weekend. A take away dinner was the next thing to be organised. They had no disagreement from me with that suggestion. Unfortunately, Edward would be working most of the weekend but I was sure that I would find plenty of things to do while I waited for him to come home.

On Saturday I insisted on cooking a meal. I made Lasagne, with homemade bread and Tiramisu for dessert. Of course there was a lot left over so another food parcel delivery was made to Edward at the hospital. I had packed the food in containers, labelled with his name. I wasn't going to risk this food ending up in some one else's stomach. He loved the surprise visit and of course the food. It made my stomach flip flop as he pulled me close to him and lavished kisses on my neck and mouth. He made me feel wonderful.

Another week began again and the usual routine ensued. All week I was busy making flowers for the next cake due at the beginning of July for Mrs Taylor. I kept my visits to the bakery to the minimum, trying to pick a time when I knew that Mike would be busy. I just hoped that it didn't appear too obvious to him that we had not seen each other for a while. He certainly didn't try to look for me when I did make a trip to the work room, which was a relief. As much as I liked Mike I really couldn't cope with any thoughts that he might have for me other than friendship. Alice and Rose were true to their word and didn't say anything to anyone. I was sure that if they had either Jasper or more likely Emmett would have visited the bakery to talk to Mike. The idea did not bear thinking about.

On the Thursday, Edward had his interview for the position with the surgery team.

He was actually quite nervous, which surprised me. As he was such a good Doctor, I couldn't imagine that they would turn him down. But then again I was not making the decision. After the interview he was told that he would find out whether he had got the position or not, any time the following week.

I knew that the result of the interview would set the tone for that weekend. It was his birthday and the Charity Function. Edward had already arranged to have the weekend free no matter what happened at work. They assured him that they had cover for him so that he would be able to relax and enjoy the celebrations.

As Edward's birthday was on the day of the Charity Function, the family organised to celebrate on the Friday so that it would still be a special time for him. A table had been booked at the family's favourite restaurant. It would be a fairly relaxed celebration as the following evening we would be out until quite late.

We were all set with our outfits for the occasion. I had even organised for Edward's tuxedo to be dry cleaned and Alice had organised for the women to pay a visit to the spa during the day before the function, as a special treat. Everything was organised right down to the smallest detail. With the Cullen family in charge of things it could not be anything else other than perfect.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Next up is Edward's birthday celebration. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and even if you didn't, please review and tell my why. Take care.


	40. Chapter 40

**Author's note; **Many thanks for the reviews of the previous chapter. You are all so encouraging. Because you are so brilliant I have put together another chapter. Edward is back! And so is the lemon season! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Take care.

**Beta reader; **Many thanks to NatalieRB for helping with some aspects of this chapter. Not the Lemon!

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday…the following week

I woke up this morning excited that this evening we would be going out to celebrate Edward's birthday. He was due to come home from work around mid-day. That time could not come soon enough as far as I was concerned. The bed felt so lonely, without him snuggled up against me. Just thinking of him made my stomach twitch in anticipation of his touch. The family would all be out at the usual time this morning which would mean that I would have time to go to the bakery with the next batch of flowers that were ready to be transferred into one of the airtight containers. _All you have to do Bella is keep your cool._

Washed and dressed, I made my way downstairs and secured an apron around my waist and set about preparing breakfast. After I set the coffee pot on, I set the table.

Amazingly Rose was the first person down today. My face registered the surprise as she came into the kitchen to pour herself a coffee.

"Good morning early bird!" She smiled at my comment and sat on a barstool as I finished cooking the breakfast.

"Are you going to the bakery today, Bella?" I turned to look at her. Her face was showing signs of concern.

"Yes, I do have to go over there this morning. I have another batch of flowers ready.

Why what's the matter?" I asked as I plated up the last of the food and set it under the heat lamps.

"I'm just worried about Mike. That's all. I remember how persistent he was with me in High School. I don't want you to have to go through a similar thing." She answered quietly. I walked over to her and put my arm around her shoulder.

"Rose. Please don't worry. I'm sure he isn't the same as he was in High School. He's an adult now and he has huge responsibilities. He wouldn't want to jeopardise everything that he has worked hard for just because he has taken a fancy to me. I'm not worth it. He knows that. It will be okay, Rose. I've hardly seen him recently and after tomorrow evening I'll be lucky if I even get a Christmas card from him." I said lightly. Rose smiled once again and chuckled at my final comment. She seemed to relax a little more.

Emmett made his way downstairs looking a little puzzled. When he reached the kitchen he looked at Rose with narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing up this early in the morning? I woke up and you were gone." He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around Rose's waist and burying his face in her hair, kissing her neck.

I breathed in hoping that Rose would cover up the reason for her unusual early morning restlessness.

"I was just thinking of all the cars that needed to be done before we go out this evening. I may have to get Jacob to come over and give me a hand." I knew for a fact that things had been quite hectic recently at the repair shop, so fortunately Rose didn't have to lie to Emmett with that excuse.

"Maybe you should ring him then. If he's not too busy in Forks then it wouldn't do him any harm for him to help out over here once in a while. You spent a lot of time making sure that the work shop was set up for him. It is your business after all. Give him a call after breakfast." Sometimes Emmett surprised me with his logic and straight talking. _He makes a lot of sense._

"I'll do that Em. Right after breakfast. I'm starving!" They both grabbed a plate each and began to make their selection. As they settled down at the table the rest of the family filtered down to eat. I made sure that another pot of coffee was under way before taking my own plate of food to the table.

As soon as breakfast was over, I cleared the table and cleaned up in the kitchen. I would probably not be using it until Sunday morning. I wrote out a quick shopping list of a few urgent items that were needed for the weekend. I would pick these things up on the way back from the bakery. Charlie would be collecting me in just half an hour. I had time to quickly change my top and brush through my hair.

When I arrived at the bakery, Charlie held the door open for me. He looked at me for a moment with a slight look of concern in his eyes. "I'll be right here if you need me, Bella." He said, giving a sharp nod.

"Thank you Charlie. You really don't need to worry. I won't be long." I reassured him and made my way into the building.

Mike's office door was closed. _Good, he's busy._ I walked past quietly and made my way down the hallway to the work room. I carefully transferred the batch of flowers that I had made into one of the storage boxes. I would only need to make another dozen flowers and I would be able to start decorating the next cake. I smiled to myself at the realisation that I was truly happy using my abilities to their full potential. I placed the storage box back on the shelf and turned to leave.

I jumped slightly at the sight of Mike standing in the doorway. He was leaning against the doorjamb, arms folded across his chest. With the relaxed way his was standing, I could only think that he had been there for a few minutes.

"Sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to make you jump. How are you?" He said giving me a small smile.

"Oh, it's okay Mike. My mind was miles away. I didn't hear you. I'm fine thanks and you?" I stood still, holding the empty box in front of me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I haven't seen you recently. Have you been very busy?" He said, not shifting from his position.

"Pretty much. I only have a dozen more flowers to make for this cake." I tried hard to make my voice sound even and nonchalant.

"Good, I'll make sure that the cake is ready on time, for you to take over." He said calmly, not moving from his spot. This was beginning to feel like a Mexican standoff.

"Well, I'd better go. I have some supplies to get for the weekend. We're staying in Seattle for the weekend as we're going out tonight and attending the function tomorrow." I continued in a steady tone. My mind was working at a hundred miles an hour right this minute, trying to process his body language and keeping my nerves in check.

"Oh, what's the occasion tonight?" He asked. I didn't see how that could be any of his business but decided that it would be a great way of breaking him out of any thoughts that he might have. So I answered him calmly and confidently.

"It's Edward's birthday tomorrow. The family decided that we should celebrate this evening to make sure that it was special for him." I replied. I noticed a flicker of emotion in Mike's face as I said Edward's name. He pushed himself away from the doorjamb by the time I had finished the sentence. _Thank God!_

"I should let you go and get the shopping done then, Bella. I hope you enjoy yourselves this evening. I'll see you tomorrow evening." He answered, his tone was somewhat strained.

"Thanks Mike. I'm sure we will have a lovely time tonight. See you tomorrow." I replied lightly.

He remained resolute, in the doorway. I gauged that I would just be able to get through the gap that was available in order to pass him. I held my breath and kept my gaze to the floor as I exited the room. My heart was thumping so hard that I was sure he would hear it. His eyes didn't leave my face. I didn't need to look up at him to know this fact. I heard him inhale deeply as I passed him. He audibly exhaled as I walked down the hallway, leaving him to lock the work room door. I didn't look back.

As I walked through the entrance door toward the car, I let out the breath that I had held since leaving the room. I had managed to deal with him without panicking. I quickly got into the car before Charlie could open the door for me. I gave Charlie a small smile and settled in the back seat. My mind went completely blank for the return journey. I had to pull my thoughts together when Charlie pulled up outside the grocery store.

I relaxed a little as I walked around the shop putting things in a basket. I put Mike right out of my mind for the time I did the shopping. I chatted to the shop owner about a couple of things that I would need for the following week and he kindly wrote out an order for the items assuring me that he would ring when they were in stock. I paid for the items in the basket and returned to the car.

A few minutes later, Charlie dropped me off at the house. I waved goodbye to him and entered the house. Once the front door was firmly shut behind me I stood leaning against the wall, breathing deeply.

I made my way to the kitchen and clicked the kettle on while I put away the groceries.

Sitting down at the breakfast bar I made myself an herbal tea to calm my nerves. Edward would be home soon and there was no way that I was going to have him sense that there was anything wrong. I decided that I would keep the whole thing about Mike to myself. I couldn't accuse Mike of doing anything other than blocking the doorway. There was no law against that after all. All I knew was how Mike made me feel at that moment. I shook my head convincing myself that I had overacted. Reading another man's body language was not something that I was an expert at. Reading Edward was easy. Reading Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle was also uncomplicated. I didn't know Mike well enough to make assumptions as to his motives today.

I finished my cup of tea and decided to go and pick out what I would be wearing tonight. That certainly took my mind off things. Choosing an outfit was not the easiest thing in the world to do for me. _I might even leave it until Alice comes home. She'll know exactly what it is I should be wearing. _I shut the wardrobe door feeling a little defeated that I was unable to make a simple decision about picking out an outfit for tonight.

I heard the bedroom door shut and nearly jumped out of my skin. I put my hand up to the wardrobe door leaning on it, trying to catch my breath_. Get a grip, Bella!_

Then I heard Edward's velvet voice. "Bella, are you okay?" I turned to face him. I could feel that my face was flushed. My heart was pounding once again. I felt like I had just run up all the stairs in this house.

He walked over to me quickly; obviously not happy with the way I looked at this precise moment in time. "I'll go get you some water." He said hurriedly, heading for the mini-fridge in the corner of the room and retrieving a bottle of water for me. He walked back to me in just a few strides, unscrewing the bottle top and passing the bottle to me.

"Here take a sip. You're in shock. Take deep breaths, Bella." He took my hand and steered me towards to edge of the bed and motioned for me to sit down. He was in full Doctor mode. "I haven't seen you jump like that since the first time I met you. Are you okay?"

During all this time I couldn't process one single coherent thought. I was taking deep breaths as instructed which allowed me a little time to think of something to say to him.

"I didn't hear you come in. I was thinking about what I should wear tonight." I finally answered giving him a weak smile.

He chuckled. "Oh, Bella! You know it doesn't worry me what you wear. You shouldn't let it get you this distracted." He chided, bringing my hand up to his lips. He gently kissed my fingers one by one. I reached out to him and stroked his cheek. I could feel tears welling in my eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright, Bella? Has something upset you?" I shook my head no. _He knows me too well._

"Really I'm fine. I missed you so much. It doesn't feel right when your not here." I rested my head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. I inhaled his scent deeply, helping me to immediately relax. I shut my eyes and concentrated on getting my breathing back to normal. For a moment a thought entered my head; I just wanted to send Edward over to the bakery and scare Mike like he had scared me. I shook the thought out of my head immediately_. That's just playground stuff, Bella. Everything will be okay when he sees you with Edward's arm around you._

"Umm. I miss you too when I'm at work. More than you will ever know." He said softly, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my face up to his. I melted. He leaned in and kissed me gently on the mouth. He took the bottle from my hand, breaking away from our kiss, placing it on the nightstand behind him. He turned back me.

"Now where were we?" He said seductively. This was exactly the distraction I needed.

He leaned in again, cupping my face, peppering me with soft kisses. "Let me show you how much I missed you, Bella."

I nodded. "Umm, yes please." My heart began to pound once again. Only this time the beat was one of sheer happiness because I was with the man I loved.

He gently pushed me down onto the bed, not once breaking contact with me. He kissed his way down my neck and shifted to hover over me, he began to kiss my chest. He lifted the hem of my shirt and slid his hand under it, stroking my stomach in a gentle circular motion. He deftly unbuttoned my jeans and pulled down the zip. He pushed the top of the jeans down my hips and I wriggled a little lifting myself off the bed a fraction to help with their removal. Edward placed his hot hand directly on top of my French knickers and pushed the edge of them over to one side. I gasped as he placed two fingers at my entrance and slid them along my folds.

"Oh, Bella." He whispered as his fingers worked their magic, spreading my arousal all around the area. He shifted from the bed completely. I wondered where he had disappeared to. But then I realised that he was kneeling at the side of the bed. He discarded my shoes and pulled my jeans all the way down leaving them on the floor. My knickers were the next thing to be dispensed with. He brought himself up onto his knees directly in front of my heated entrance. I lay still with my eyes closed. I could hear him breathing and feel his breath fanning over my most sensitive area. I wanted this so much. To feel so desired by him and only him, was all I wanted.

He leaned in closer. I held my breath for a moment to concentrate on the feelings that were about to course through me. As he put his mouth to me I let out a sigh and began to breathe more heavily. His tongue was almost too much as he licked along my folds, tantalisingly close to where I so wanted him to be. He knew exactly when to give me what I wanted. He timed his ministrations with my breathing pattern. At the point where I knew he would finally concentrate on my now extremely sensitive bundle of nerves, I held my breath again.

He began to suck and nip and lick, sending amazing tingling sensations through my body. I hardly seemed to be breathing. I gasped my way through each sensation that caused me to writhe under him. He held my hips firmly to keep me still as he worked his tongue up and down against my bundle of nerves. I reached down to his hair and fisted it as my orgasm began to course through me. My breath caught, heightening the sensation, making it last that little bit longer. My thighs clenched either side of his head as they shook involuntarily. I breathed deeply to help my body come down from an amazing high. As I lay there I could hear him undoing his trousers and the next thing I knew, as my senses began to return, was him pushing me to the centre of the bed and then he hovered over me. I opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful person in front of me. His hair was a mess thanks to me and his face was flushed with excitement of what was in store for him. I placed my hands around the back of his head and pulled his face down to mine. Our mouths crashed together and my tongue immediately forced itself into his mouth searching for his tongue. Tasting my arousal on his tongue made the twitching sensations in my stomach surface again. I could feel his tip just touching at my entrance.

I couldn't take the teasing any longer so as I pushed his mouth harder to mine, I bucked my hips up to him and in one swift movement on my part he was there inside me. He moaned into my mouth as my muscles throbbed around him. I felt him pulsate for a moment and then he set his pace. I tugged at his hair for him to stop kissing me and let out a groan as my next orgasm pulsed through me. I knew that he would not last much longer because of my intense reactions to him. I lifted my legs just a little more so that he reached that bit further into me. Again another slightly stronger high throbbed through my body. The top of my head was beginning to tingle with the extra blood that was being pumped around my body and my erratic breathing.

"Oh, God, Bella. I'm gonna come." He moaned. I cupped his face and pulled him to me again and assaulted his mouth as before. We moaned and groaned into each others mouths, his hands palming my breasts under my t-shirt. The tension in him was building quickly until finally he brought us both over the edge with his final thrusts.

He spilled into me grunting with his last movements inside me and then gently lay down on top of me, breathing hard. As he began to regain some kind of composure he rolled onto his back beside me. I shut my eyes concentrating on the feelings that were still coursing through me.

Edward turned on his side propping himself up on his elbow. He reached for a piece of my hair and played with it between his fingers.

"I love you, Bella Swan. Now and always. I love you." He whispered.

I turned my face to him and opened my eyes. "I love you too, always, Edward."

I wriggled closer to him and rested my head under his chin, breathing in his scent.

"I suppose we should begin to get ready. I'll go and have a shower. You stay here and rest." As he got off the bed he pulled the comforter over me and went to the bathroom.

I listened to the water cascading in the shower, imagining how it was running over and down his body. I smiled to myself. Edward was home and it felt so good.

As the sound of the running water stopped, I sat up and made my way to the bathroom, holding out a towel for him as he stepped out of the cubicle. He thanked me with a kiss on my forehead. I took off my T-shirt and bra and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me.

A little while later, I had showered and wrapped myself up in a large towel, I sat down in the bedroom to dry my hair. I hadn't heard the knock on the door because of the noise the dryer was making. The door opened and Alice walked in. I saw her, in my peripheral vision and fortunately didn't jump.

"Hi, Bella." She greeted me as I turned off the hair dryer. "I come bearing gifts."

"Alice! It's not my birthday!" I exclaimed as she handed me a large paper bag looking suspiciously like the ones that she used in her boutique.

"I know it's not your birthday, silly. You need a dress for tonight, so here you are. From me with love, Bella." Her smile was genuine and full of love.

"Thank you Alice." I stood and hugged her, careful not to press against her growing baby bump. I looked into the bag and pulled out the contents.

It was a beautiful sky blue cocktail dress. It was made of layers of chiffon with a gathered bodice.

"It is amazing, Alice thank you so much!" I hung it up by the hanger, on the back of the wardrobe door.

Alice left me to continue to dry my hair and get ready. Twenty minutes later I was ready. I held my white, high heeled strap shoes, in my hand as I walked downstairs. I slipped then on when I reached the bottom.

Edward let out a small gasp as I walked into the lounge area. He was sitting down glancing through a newspaper. He stood up and closed the gap between us.

"Bella, words fail me. You have never looked so lovely. You look radiant." He said softly. He reached for my hand and kissed my palm.

"Thank you Edward. Now I am ready to go out with you tonight, thanks to Alice. She never ceases to amaze me, that sister of yours. She has this uncanny knack of knowing when I need something." I smiled.

The family gathered in the lounge and Charlie appeared at the hallway door to say that the limo was ready. We headed for the restaurant. We chatted about work and different events that happened during the day. I kept my mouth shut. As far as I was concerned the events of my day did not warrant being spoken about.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were ushered to our table. The same table that we sat at on Mother's Day. We placed our food order and drinks were served.

"I have something to tell all of you." Edward announced. Everyone around the table stopped talking and looked at him to continue. "I was told yesterday, officially, that my application to join surgery has been accepted. I start my training as soon as possible." Everyone around the table began to congratulate him on his success.

"Why didn't you tell us yesterday?" I asked as I kissed his cheek.

"I wanted to have everyone together before I shared the news. This is the perfect time." He smiled at everyone around the table.

"It is wonderful news, Edward. I can safely speak for dad as well, when I say how proud we are of you. You really wanted this. It's wonderful that you can now achieve your dream." Esme said lovingly to her son.

"I also have another dream that I wish to achieve." Edward said reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out two boxes marked with the Tiffany logo. All the women gasped at the sight of them in his hand. Edward turned in his chair to face me.

"Bella." He began. "I know we haven't been together for very long but to me it feels that I have known you for so much longer. I love you Bella, with all my heart and I would like you to accept this…" He continued as he opened the smaller box. "It's a Promise Ring, Bella and it will be followed soon by an engagement ring. I hope you'll accept this ring as a token of how much I love you and want to continue the journey that we have begun together." He slipped the ring on the third finger on my left hand.

I was lost for words. I looked down at it. It was white gold set with sky blue aquamarines. It was gorgeous. I sat, dumb struck. Edward then opened the second slightly larger box. He revealed a delicate necklace in white gold. I looked at him. He read my expression and explained.

"This is a necklace for the ring. When you're working, Bella, you won't be able to wear the ring. So you'll be able to wear it even when it is not on your finger."

He had thought of everything. All I could do was hug and kiss him again. Everyone around the table smiled and admired the ring.

"Now everyone will know who you belong to, Bella. Well done Edward." Rose announced. She was so right.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Please let me know what you think of this chapter, by reviewing. I just hope that I got something of the tension that Mike caused Bella, right. It was difficult to write. Next up is the Charity Function. Take care.


	41. Chapter 41

**Author's note; **Many thanks for the reviews of the previous chapter. I promise to reply to all of you. You have made some wonderful comments and are very encouraging. Your reviews warm my heart. Warning! Lemon! Edward and Bella are together and we all know what happens when they are!

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight, but I came up with this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

I woke up slowly from a heavy sleep. Remembering what had happened the evening before, I immediately stretched out my left hand in front of me. I had almost thought I had been dreaming. Edward gave me a ring yesterday. No, not an engagement ring. That would have been too soon. But this ring, a Promise Ring, was just perfect. I looked at it. Even in the half light of morning streaming through the curtains, it shone. The sky blue aquamarines shone. They reminded me of the glint in Edward's eyes when he holds me close and tells me that he loves me. Me Bella Swan. Me just a cook. But no longer just a cook. I was promised to Edward. I was part of a new family. Part of a new unit. A unit within a unit. I loved my new family almost a much as I loved my parents. I loved Edward with a passion. A passion I could not put into words. He would always take my breath away whenever I tried to put my love for him into words. I was always having to remember to breathe around him. And then the ridiculous thing is that when we were apart, it felt like I couldn't breathe, not until we were together again.

I rolled over and placed my arm around his sleeping form.

"Umm." He hummed. "Good morning, love." His voice was thick with sleep. I doubt if he even had his eyes open yet.

"Morning you gorgeous man. Thank you." Words were failing me again.

"For what?" He asked softly.

"For everything. Thank you." I whispered in reply.

"You're welcome." He said as he turned and laid on his back.

"Oh, Happy Birthday by the way." I suddenly realised what today was officially.

"Thank you, Bella." He gave a small grin in my direction.

"I'll go and put some coffee on. I won't be long." _I need one desperately to get me thinking straight this morning._

"I'm missing you already, Bella." He watched me as I got out of bed and walked over to where my robe was draped across the chair.

I smiled at him as his eyes glazed over with a hint of desire. "I haven't left the room yet." I chided gently.

"I know." He replied softly, licking his lips.

Throwing my robe on and securing it around me, I walked over to him and kissed his cheek, left the room and headed downstairs.

I put a pot of coffee on and set about making up a small tray of breakfast for the two of us. Just toast and a choice of honey or jam. Simple but enough to help us start our day. The women would be going out later to the spa to have some girlie time as Alice called it. I looked forward to it. It would mean the start of the preparations to get ready for this evening.

I had to admit to myself that I was a little nervous. It would be the first official social event that Edward and I had attended as a couple. Rose had said jokingly the other day, that all eyes would be on us, especially me. I was finding it hard to process this. The two good things were that I would have Edward by my side and his family. I also knew a lot of the people who would be attending tonight. They were not all total strangers to me anymore. I was sure I could handle it.

The coffee was ready. I set up the tray and carefully carried it up to our room.

Edward was sitting up in bed by this time. He smiled at me seeing the tray.

"You spoil me." He smiled.

"It's your birthday. You should be spoiled." I retorted.

"Get back into bed then." I set the tray on his lap and carefully got back into bed, beside him.

We fed each other pieces of toast and drank our coffee. When we finished Edward set the tray on the floor beside him.

"Can I unwrap my present then?" He cheekily asked.

"Present? What present? For all you know, I didn't get you one." I knew I wouldn't win with this tack.

"Yes you did." He began, turning towards me. "This present." He began to undo my robe slowly. He pulled me over towards him. I knew exactly where I wanted to be and straddled his lap in response. He was already hard and twitching between my legs.

"Ah, that present!" I answered, smiling. I could feel my core reacting to the warmth that was so close to me.

"You mean you did get me a present?" He sounded a little surprised. And then turned his attention to reaching up inside the open robe and slipping it from my shoulders and away from my body, letting it fall behind me. Goose bumps immediately erupted on my flesh as his hands moved over my arms, up to my shoulders again and very slowly, traced his fingers down my chest to my breasts and along my torso reaching my hips.

"Of course I did silly. I would never forget about you." I said, having difficulty in even keeping my eyes open.

He gripped my hips and moved me just enough to allow the tip of his hardened length touch my entrance. I held my balance and stayed in that position for just a moment longer, looking at him as his desire for me filled his eyes. It was too much for me. In one swift movement I engulfed him.

He moaned at the motion. "God Bella, you're so wet."

"You wouldn't want me any other way now, would you?" I breathed out as I sat still on him relishing the sensation of me pulsating around him. He palmed my breasts as I began to move up and down very slowly, pressing my hands to his chest for leverage.

The need in me was clearly evident as I reached my first high in no time. I leaned forward to catch my breath and my hair splayed out around him forming a shield around out heads as we looked into each others eyes. He moved his hands up to my face and cupped it pulling me down towards him. I moved my hands from his chest and placed them either side of him on the bed. He gently kissed my mouth stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. When his tongue begged for entry I immediately responded, allowing his in, which only heightened the sensations coursing through me. As our tongues caressed each other I began to set the pace that I knew we both enjoyed.

He placed his hands back on my hips and goose bumps tingled under his touch. I broke away from our kiss gasping for air. I pushed myself back upright and placed my hands behind me, gripping the top of his thighs. I leaned back on my hands, the position earned me another strong orgasm, this time it felt like an electric current was making its way up my spine. The sensation made me shudder and Edward groaned with pleasure. He had reached as far as was physically possible. He was completely encased inside me. I could feel my face break out into a smile as I realised that I had finally achieved this possibility. We fitted perfectly. I was moulded around him deliciously.

"Bella, Bella." He breathed. "Are… you… ready?" He added, gasping.

Boy was I ever ready! I held my breath as he reached inside me that bit more and spilled into me grunting with the last few thrusts, emptying himself completely. I rode out the last of the sensations gently, allowing us to catch our breaths. I collapsed on to his chest, my body no longer able to stay upright.

Edward stroked his hands down my back and through the length of my hair helping our normal breathing pattern to return.

"We had better get ready for the day, Bella. You're going out soon aren't you?" He asked.

"Yes, I suppose I had better get ready. We don't need Alice pounding on the door to drag me downstairs in this state." I said quickly and reluctantly detached myself from him.

We showered and got ready. By the time we got downstairs everyone was up and making cups of coffee and tea.

"Will you be ready to go in half an hour, Bella?" Esme asked.

"Yes, I can be. Are we going already?" I asked surprised that the outing for the women had been moved forward.

"Yes, I decided that it would be a nice idea if we went for lunch and then on to the spa." Esme answered smiling with self satisfaction.

"That's a lovely idea. I'll just go and get my purse." I went back upstairs to go get it and rejoined the women minutes later.

"Charlie is waiting for us, so let's go shall we?" Esme had everything organised. Today would be a great day out.

The men were going Go Kart Racing. They were making small wagers with each other as to who would win today. _Boys and their toys!_ We said goodbye to our men and made our way to the waiting limo.

When we arrived at Esme's favourite restaurant, we were ushered to our table. It was a window table. Esme indicated to me to sit opposite her next to the window. Rose sat next to me. We ordered a light lunch consisting of butterfly chicken covered in Parma ham, coated in melted mozzarella. A green side salad accompanied the dish and a bowl of French fries were placed in the middle of the table to be shared between us. French fries were something that Alice craved at the moment. Last week it was tomato ketchup on just about everything!

Rose leaned into me and spoke quietly. "Do you like your ring Bella?" She asked smiling.

"Yes, I really do. It is beautiful." I answered looking at it once again.

"Good. I'm glad you like it. Edward was really worried about getting the right one for you." She informed me. _I know that look Rosalie Hale!_

"Did you have a hand in this Rose?" I looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"I can't deny that I didn't suggest that he get a ring for you. I left it up to him to decide on the colour. A ring will send out the right signal, Bella. Especially to those who think that you're fair game. You're not. You are now spoken for. _He_ will leave you alone now, Bella." She said, knowing that I would understand what she was implying.

"Rose. It really wasn't a problem." I tried to reassure her. _I know it won't work on Rose. She knows me too well now._

"Yes, it was. But now it won't be. Trust me. I know about these things." _I love this woman and her perceptiveness._

"What are you two whispering about?" Alice asked, with a tone that indicated she was being left out of the loop.

"Nothing. I was just asking Bella what she got Edward for his birthday." Rose answered coolly.

"Come on spill. You've told Rose so now you can tell us." Alice chided.

"Well, when I was in Phoenix I got a lovely pair a cufflinks. They're green. Just like his eyes. It's not a big present but I really liked them so I had to get them." I knew I couldn't compete with the rest of the family as far as presents were concerned but I knew that my gift would not be treated in any way different from the rest he would receive.

"What a lovely idea, Bella. He will love them. He'll be able to wear them for the function tonight. They will match your dress." Alice said excitedly. Only Alice would think so quickly about the dress matching a pair of cuff links.

As I ate I scanned the room. There were a few familiar faces here today. The 'Ladies who Lunch Brigade' were out in full force. They were no doubt also preparing for the function tonight. It was one of the highlights of the social calendar. Esme made sure that she smiled and nodded to familiar faces and would inform me of their names. She told me that couple of the women would no doubt be in contact with me as weddings were being planned in their households. Alice and I were going to be busy for some time.

When we finished our meal Esme rang Charlie to collect us and take us to our next stop. As we left the restaurant I couldn't help but notice how many customers turned in their seats to watch us leave. I felt a slight blush come to my face, not because I was scared or upset. I would just have to adjust to the attention I was going to receive now that everyone knew that I was with Edward.

We arrived at the spa for our treatments. Alice opted for a simple shoulder, neck, leg and foot massage due to the fact that she could no longer lie on her stomach. They carefully chose the correct oils to use for her massage. As with some foods, a few massage oils were not safe to use on Alice for the time being.

After a couple of hours of soothing pampering, we made our way back home. Charlie would have a few hours to himself now before he needed to collect us all and take us to the function.

The men were not home yet, which was quite a relief. We had to get ourselves ready and really didn't need them around as a distraction. Rose and I met up in Alice's room to begin the regime of making ourselves beautiful. Nails were painted, hair was styled and faces were made up. Rose attended to my hair. She pinned it up for me and using the curling iron formed ringlets in some strands of hair, to frame my face and neck. The effect was rather lovely. Her patience with me knew no bounds. I was learning fast from Alice and Rose as to how to have my hair and make up. I was also now taking a little more interest in clothes. Alice had shown me the designs she was working on for the New York Fashion Show. Rose was her chief critic but I was also asked my opinion. I appreciated the fact that Alice wanted to hear what I had to say even though I was a novice as far as fashion was concerned.

The men finally arrived home. We made our way downstairs to take a break from the makeovers to have tea and coffee. We sat in the lounge together talking about our day so far. Edward kept looking at me as I sat on his lap. His eyes would stop at my lips every so often. _I'm not surprised, they are rather red!_

The family set this time aside to give Edward his birthday presents. I quickly went upstairs to fetch my gift for him. I kneeled on the floor next to where he was sitting to watch him open his presents. He opened Esme and Carlisle's present first. Esme smiled at him in anticipation of his reaction. When he opened the box, it revealed a leather-bound, Dunhill designed, backgammon set. It was beautiful. The pieces felt wonderful to hold.

Emmett and Rose handed their present to him next. It was a fairly flat box. When Edward opened it, he looked over to them questioningly. It was a white silk, Alexander McQueen evening scarf.

"I thought," Rose began. "Since you'll be going to all the functions now with Bella, your old scarf was looking a little worn out, considering who bought it for you." She finished, giving him a knowing smile. I didn't need to ask who had given him the old one.

"Thank you Rose and Emmett. The other one will find a new home in the recycling bin I think." Edward answered, smiling warmly at them.

Next was Alice and Jasper's present. Alice sat on the edge of the couch eagerly watching him open the gift. It was a stylish gold fountain pen from the Parker range.

It was engraved with his initials on the end of the pen cover and the barrel of the pen was engraved with an intricate diamond shaped pattern. He loved it and Alice was overjoyed at his reaction. Jasper sat back just happy that Alice was happy.

Last was my gift. It was the smallest box he had received so far. His eyes were wide with expectation of what the box held inside. As he opened the box he immediately smiled and leaned forward to kiss me.

"Thank you, Bella. These are wonderful. I really did need a new set. I shall wear them tonight with pride." His words were so full of love. My stomach twitched as I saw his finger trace over the shape of the cufflinks.

We all stood and Edward thanked everyone giving his mother, Rose and Alice a kiss on their cheeks and hugging Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper.

"Thank you, all of you, for the lovely presents. I'm really looking forward to using all of them." He checked his watch. "I suppose we'd better get ready or we'll be late for this function." He stated and all of us agreed and made our way up to our rooms. The men had a lot of catching up to do to get ready.

I slipped into some new underwear that Alice had insisted I buy recently and then, put on the new dress. I asked Edward to zip the dress up for me. He sent a shiver down my spine, kissing my back as he pulled the zip up to close the dress.

I stood for a moment relishing his touch but then pulling myself out of the daydream, remembering that we were going out to a very important event. I picked up my high heeled shoes and purse and made my way downstairs carefully to wait for him. Alice and Rose followed shortly after. We checked each other, making sure that everything was perfect on us.

Esme and Carlisle made their way downstairs closely followed by Jasper, Emmett and Edward. I stood motionless, staring at Edward. I had never seen him look more handsome. He had managed to tame his hair a little more than usual. He looked so good in his tux my mouth literally watered. I had to swallow hard and let out a sigh that he didn't fail to miss. He grinned at me. I was just thankful at that moment that I had not yet put on my shoes! I was having trouble standing even without them on!

I broke myself out of my Edward trance and he held my hand as I slipped the shoes on. Without a second thought he then bent down in front of me and fastened the tiny buckles at my ankles. Memories came flooding back of another time that he had helped me with these shoes. _Get a grip, Bella. You're going out tonight. Not staying in._

Edward placed the cufflinks in my hand. "Would you put these in for me, please Bella. Your fingers are smaller than mine. I've always found these things a bit fiddly."

"Of course I will. It'll be my pleasure." I answered. As I stood in front of him and secured the cufflinks in place, he looked down at me his scent swirling around my head, taking my breath away. _Breathe, Bella. Breathe._ He then placed his new evening scarf around his neck, leaving it to hang loose. He looked stunning.

We were all finally ready to leave the house. Charlie held the passenger door of the limo open for us. Carlisle gallantly helped Esme, Alice, Rose and me into the limo.

The men joined us and we all settled for the ride to the venue. Carlisle opened a bottle of champagne and carefully poured a little in the champagne flutes, handing a flute to each one of us.

He raised his flute and toasted. "To all of us. The Cullen Family," he gestured towards Esme, Emmett, Rose, Edward and me. "And the Whitlock family." He gestured towards Alice and Jasper. "Have a wonderful evening!" and we drained our glasses in response.

Not long later we arrived at the function. _Let the evening begin!_

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **I had to make the decision to split this chapter into two, otherwise it would have been too long or too much would have been missed out. I just couldn't do that to you, my faithful readers. So folks, next up is the function itself. So in the meantime please review. Take care.


	42. Chapter 42

**Author's note; **Many thanks for the reviews of the previous chapter. You seem to be liking it so far. As I explained in my last A/N I had to choose to either post a chapter that would not be what I wanted it to be or, as I have done, write two chapters to cover the events up to and including this all important Charity Function. I spent a whole day working on it, meaning that I did not have time to write chapters for my other stories. I do hope the sacrifice was worth it. Enjoy! Take care.

**Beta reader; **Many thanks to NatalieRB for your support.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but really enjoy messing with the characters.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday continued……

Carlisle and Esme got out the of limo first followed by Emmett and Rose, Alice and Jasper and lastly Edward and I. We all gathered at the foot of a set of stone stairs as Charlie drove the limo away to park it. Edward took my hand and linked my arm through his as we walked up the few steps leading us into the enormous lobby.

A number of people were gathered at the seating chart, in order to ascertain where they were positioned in the hall. Carlisle walked over to the chart and managed to get close enough to find out where our table was situated. He stopped to greet a couple of people and returned to our group a short time later.

"Table three this year." He announced.

Esme smiled. "Excellent!" There was a hint of satisfaction in her tone.

I smiled to myself at the realisation that the position of the tables was all important at a function like this. As with any social event, the closer you sat to the top table or tables, the more important you were regarded. It was simple. The top ten families occupied the top ten tables.

Carlisle motioned to Esme for her to take his arm. We all followed suit. We collected glasses of champagne from laden trays, held by smartly dressed waiters and waitresses. I did not envy their job this evening. They would be on their feet for quite a few hours, fetching and carrying.

We walked into the large hall, nodding and greeting at other guests standing in small groups, on our way in.

So far I felt absolutely fine. It had been a long time since I had attended anything this grand back in Phoenix. I had been one of the waitresses that time. It had been a job I secured while I was at college. It was the perfect opportunity at the time for me to use my newly learned skills of silver service.

I looked around the vast room for a moment to take in the scene as we had stopped to allow Esme and Carlisle to talk to one of the other consultants at the hospital and his wife.

The large round tables were adorned with crisp white linen, crystal glasses and highly polished cutlery. The white linen napkins were folded into the Fleur de Lis/Cardinal combination and set on gold coloured chargers. At the centre of each table was an elegant arrangement of flowers. A large vase containing a combination of blue hydrangeas and pale pink roses interspersed with cornflowers, aruncus spears and variegated foliage. The effect was impressive.

My attention was pulled back to a small group of people who were now talking to Carlisle and Esme. We were all introduced to each other. Esme proudly informed them of the good news of the forthcoming addition to the family of twins in the New Year and the recent opening of Rose's new work shop in Forks. Lastly their attention was drawn to me. Edward placed his hand encouragingly on mine that was snaked through his arm. I smiled politely as I was introduced to Dr and Mrs Stevens.

"So," Mrs Stevens began. "Does this mean that Edward will be settling down soon?" Although she looked at me the question was directed at Esme.

"Nothing is planned as yet, but I would like to think that it will be in the not too distant future." Esme replied. She looked over to me, giving me an encouraging smile and a cheeky wink to Edward. Esme was enjoying this so much.

We finally made our way over to our allocated table. It was the other side of the dance floor. I had almost completely forgotten the there would be dancing involved during the course of the evening. I quickly put the thought out of my mind. _There's no point in worrying about that now. I'll be fine with Edward holding me._

We set our champagne flutes on the table and took our seats. I was little relieved that we were finally sitting down. My feet were hurting a little in the high heels. Alice was feeling hungry and couldn't resist eating the bread roll that had already been placed on the side plate. We relaxed into easy conversation with Esme occasionally pointing out couples as they entered the large hall and took their seats.

There was so much information to absorb but I decided that I wasn't going to worry about it. I just wanted to get through the evening and enjoy myself as much as possible.

It took about twenty minutes before all the guests were finally seated. The hall was now flooded with all the beautiful colours of the dresses. The meal began.

It was nothing too complicated yet it was a feast for the eyes. Each dish that was served was thoroughly enjoyed and only empty plates were taken back to the kitchen.

Emmett kindly made a couple of comments about the 'fancy food' and how much he preferred my home cooked meals. He helped to put me at ease as we ate. He shared a few anecdotes with me about a few of the people in the room. I giggled and Esme shook her head at him. _That's Emmett for you._ He never changed, not even for a function like this. Edward just rolled his eyes at his brother. He had obviously heard these stories many times before.

There was then a pause in the proceedings in order to allow people to stretch their legs. Jasper went over to another table to greet some people he obviously knew. Alice explained that they were regular clients of Jasper's and therefore could not be ignored. An event like this was an opportunity for people to catch up with how things were going and generally networking. There were many men exchanging business cards and mobile phones reached for in order to exchange numbers.

Then the speeches began. In all it only took up three quarters of an hour of the evening. Edward explained that in previous years these speeches would take up so much time that people would be falling asleep at the tables. I was sure that he was exaggerating a little but could imagine it happening from functions that I attended when I was working as a waitress.

More coffee was served and orders for after dinner drinks were taken. The two waitresses assigned to our table were very thorough and attentive. I struck up a conversation with Jo, the more confident of the two. I found out that she worked on a temporary basis to help fund her education. I understood completely and asked for her number, explaining that if ever extra staff were needed for the wedding planning business that I helped with, I would be happy to give her the work. I ended up taking her friends number as well. They were both pleased at the prospect of more work coming their way. Alice smiled at me saying that she was pleased to see that I was happy to join in with the whole networking idea.

"I've got my eye on a couple of waiters as well, Alice." I said, quietly but obviously not quietly enough. Edward's head snapped up when he heard me.

I rested my hand on his to placate him. "Don't worry Edward. This is just for the business. Good workers are hard to come by. While I'm here I don't want to miss the opportunity of getting names and numbers for future events."

He smiled with understanding. "I didn't know that you had such a business head on those beautiful shoulders of yours, Bella." He said and kissed my bare shoulder gently. That was to be the first of many kisses he showered on me during the course of the evening.

Music began to play in the background as the tables were cleared of everything other than unfinished bottles and glasses. A short time later, a jazz band took their positions on the stage. As they began to play the first song, Carlisle stood up from the table and took Esme's hand in his and led her out to the dance floor. They were one of the first couples to dance. Slowly more couples joined them. I looked on smiling. It was lovely to see Carlisle and Esme share a moment like this. They looked lovingly into each other's eyes. Even after all the years that they had been together, the depth of how much they loved each other was still evident. They were the perfect roll model of husband and wife to their children. Jasper was the first to stand and lead Alice to the dance floor. Edward looked over to me, catching my attention.

"Shall we?" He asked, taking my hand. _How can I possibly say no to this man?!_

I nodded and stood with him. We took our place among the gently swaying couples.

"Just follow my lead, Bella. Relax and follow my lead." He whispered into my ear as he took my hand in his and snaked his other arm around my waist, holding me close to him. I rested my other hand on his shoulder and we began to move. I shut my eyes as he took control. It was so much easier for me to read his movements this way. I was able to move with him without any problems, our bodies were so attuned.

"I don't think I've told you yet Bella, how beautiful you look tonight." He whispered leaning close to my ear and placed a chaste kiss on my neck. All I could do was smile up at him.

Two more dances later and we returned to the table to have a drink and let me rest my feet for a time.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Bella" Esme asked as she sat next to me.

"I am, very much Esme. This is a lovely occasion. A very good atmosphere." I remarked.

"Yes, it certainly is, Bella. Edward looks very happy." She looked over to him as he was chatting with a colleague two tables from ours. "And it's all down to you, Bella dear. Thank you for making Edward smile again. I missed his smile. He was always quite a happy child unless Emmett got the better of him. Being miserable doesn't suit him. He certainly isn't these days." She smiled at me and patted my hand affectionately.

Carlisle walked over to our table and stood next to Esme. "It's our tune dear. Care to join me on the dance floor?" He bent forward at the waist slightly taking her hand and led her to the dance floor again. I smiled warmly at them, watching as them moved perfectly together.

"Bella." The sound of my name broke me out of my trance. I looked up to see a familiar face. Jacob.

"Hi, Jacob. How are you?" I didn't want to sound rude but then again I didn't want to encourage him either. We hadn't seen each other for a while and yet he still had that glint in his eye as he looked down at me.

"You look amazing, Bella. Are you enjoying yourself?" He scanned around the room quickly as he asked. "Not dancing?"

"I have been. I'm just giving my feet a rest. I'm not used to high heels." I gave him a weak grin hoping he would take the hint to leave me in peace to continue resting my weary feet. _Where on earth has Edward got too?_

"I'm going to heading home soon. I just wondered if you would let me have one dance with you before I go." He held out his large hand to me. "A friendly dance." He smiled warmly and waited for my response.

As the offer was for a friendly dance I agreed. "Okay, Jacob. One dance. As friends." I replied, getting to my feet.

I placed my hand in his and he led me to the dance floor. Showing off, he twirled me around holding my hand above my head. As the 180 degree twirl ended he caught me in his arms and immediately began to move us both around the floor. I was a little taken aback to say the least.

"I didn't know you could dance, Jacob." My voice showed my surprise and he grinned down at me.

"There are lots of things you don't know about me, Bella." I took it as a cheeky retort and swatted his upper arm with my free hand.

"And I won't be finding out what they are, Jacob Black!" I retorted smiling. _Why is it he always has a way of making me smile?_

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered. "Do you know, I'm looking around this room and I think I can safely say that you are the most beautiful woman here?" He moved his face just far enough away to look into my face for a moment.

I arched my back a little, creating a wider distance between us. "I think you've had a little too much to drink, don't you? I hope you're not driving home." I needed to say something in response to his words. I hoped that I sounded like a concerned friend.

"If I have to, I'll stay at a hotel. The business is paying for this evening. I don't have to worry. I don't suppose you want to join me in a nightcap?" He asked as he slid his hand up my back pulling me into him.

"Jacob I really think you should stop now. I'm going to forgive you for the last comment. I think you have had too much to drink and I would prefer it if you let me go, now!" My face was frozen with annoyance. I stared at him hard. He didn't relax his grip but we had stopped moving.

A smirk on his face was evident as he spoke. "I don't see anyone coming to your rescue, Bella. Is he loosing interest in you already?" I saw red. I pushed against his chest and he let me go. We had yet to attract attention. I didn't want to. It would go badly for him if we did.

"No Jacob, Edward hasn't." He winced when I said Edward's name. I used the only weapon I could think of in that moment in time. I held up my left hand in front of his face, my palm facing me. "Does this look like he's lost interest in me?" His eyes immediately shot to the glittering ring and his face dropped. The smile was completely wiped off his face. I could feel my body trembling with anger.

"Go Jacob. You need to sleep it off. Don't ever speak to me like that again. You have too much to loose." I didn't even wait for his reply. I turned on my heels and made my way through the dancing couples and headed towards the ladies rest rooms. Once there I made use of the large, red velvet couch and sat down to catch my breath. I had no thoughts. I concentrated on breathing properly again. A couple of women looked over to me but didn't say anything. Their faces were not familiar to me.

Next a small group of women came through the door. They were laughing as they shared a joke, no doubt at someone else's expense. I trailed my fingers through my hair to calm myself.

A voice rang out. One that I couldn't fail to recognise. "Oh, look if it isn't Edward's little cook!" She exclaimed sarcastically. The rest of the entourage looked in my direction and began to giggle. I ignored her and stood to leave. She really had picked the wrong time.

"Going so soon!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I thought we might swap notes. We do have one thing in common after all." She smirked and began to giggle. It seemed that everyone was having a little too much to drink tonight. I stood for a moment looking at her almost feeling sorry for her. She was so jealous. Only jealous women acted this way.

I made sure that I was calm before I spoke. I wanted to make sure that the words I had to say would be fully absorbed and understood. "Maybe if you had realised at the time how important he was to you, you would still be with him. Thankfully you didn't and now he's moved on. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Tanya, that you broke his heart, giving me the chance to mend it again and realise the value of it. Don't worry _your_ mistake will not be repeated. Enjoy the rest of your life, Tanya." I gave her a curt smile and walked out of the door, leaving them all standing dumb founded and probably a little confused.

I stood in the hallway for a moment taking in a deep breath and smiled as my words to Tanya came flooding back. I almost wished that Rose was here and that we could high five each other again.

I made my way back to our deserted table and poured myself a small glass of wine. I certainly needed it now. I scanned the room but couldn't see any of the family. They were no doubt all busy talking or dancing. So they should be. Just because I was having a rather tense evening so far didn't mean that it should ruin their enjoyment.

I stared blankly at the flowers in front of me. "Bella?" His velvet voice snapped me back into the room. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" He sounded exasperated and slightly panicked. He plopped himself down in the chair next to me and took my hand in his, tracing circles on my palm with his thumb.

"Are you alright, Bella? You're very subdued." He placed his index finger under my chin and lifted my face towards his.

"I'm fine Edward, really. I just needed to sit for a moment. These shoes are killing me." I said lightly to ease his worry.

"Well, if you're sure. Now you've rested would you like to dance again before the evening is over?" He looked at me full of hope. He was really enjoying himself. Who was I to deny him this request?

I nodded, he stood and helped me to my feet. As he led me to the dance floor a few people turned and looked over to us and smiled. As we moved around the floor I noticed other people talking to each other in hushed tones and smiling in our direction. Edward seemed oblivious to what was going on around him. I shut my eyes for a time to try and block out the discomfort that was growing inside me. Shutting my eyes was helping enormously. I concentrated on Edward's movements and for a time forgot about everything other than us.

Someone tugging at my arm broke me out of my daydream. "Alice, please go and sit down. This is one of the last dances of the night!" Edward snapped at his sister, annoyed at the interruption.

"Stop moaning Edward. This is really important." She chided him and turned her attention to me. "Bella is it true?"

"Is what true, Alice? I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." She had completely lost me now.

"The rumour that's going around right this minute." She clarified, well almost.

"Alice, if it's a rumour then it probably isn't true." Edward retorted not letting go of me. He kissed my forehead and smiled at me, attempting to dance again.

Alice gripped my arm firmly, not allowing me to move from the spot. She's determined when she wants to be.

"Is it true that that nasty piece of work Tanya, confronted you?" Edward glared at Alice at the mention of Tanya's name.

"Is this true, Bella? Did she confront you?" His eyes were filled with anger at this point. I nodded fearing the worst. _Maybe I had overstepped the mark with her._

I sighed and let my gaze drift to the floor below.

Alice wrapped her arms around me. "Bella, you were wonderful! Mrs Thompson's daughter, Sarah, heard everything. After you left the room Tanya said some very unflattering things about you. Sarah was so incensed by all accounts and tore into Tanya putting her firmly in place a second time tonight from what I've been told. Bella you're an absolute hit with everyone. There was no way that Sarah was going to let her have the upper hand. Apparently Tanya left the building without even waiting for her date. I wouldn't be surprised if she's not half way to Alaska before long. I just hope she stays there." Her tone resolute.

By this time Alice had attracted quite a crowd around us. I noticed the music had stopped and there was an eerie silence that filled the room. It was just so surreal.

Alice hugged me again and kissed my cheek. I looked around me feeling completely self-conscious. Just one woman began to clap. _What on earth is she clapping for?_

And then another and another, until most of the people on the dance floor applauded.

Edward smiled down at me. I just smiled back not really understanding what was going on. "You've done it, Bella. Without even trying you've done it." He grinned.

"Done what?" I asked, still none the wiser, the applause still gathering pace.

"You've conquered Seattle society without even realising it. They love you, Bella." He buried his face in my neck and wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me from the ground spinning on the spot slowly. I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself. The realization finally sunk into my brain and began to smile. The applause finally began to ebb and the band struck up again with another tune. Everyone began to dance again and Edward finally set me back down on my feet.

Alice had finally moved on to find Jasper and drag him to the dance floor. As Edward led me around the floor he beamed with pride. A month ago I would have all but died with the attention I was receiving at that precise moment in time. My face was flushed with success. Not flushed with embarrassment.

The evening was finally drawing to a close. People were beginning to say goodbye to each other as they walked through the hall back to the lobby. A number of them wished our family well and shook hands with Edward, Carlisle, Japer and Emmett.

I stood quietly for a moment waiting for our group to move on. I felt a hand rest on my arm from behind me. I swung round to face the person who was trying to attract my attention.

Mike's smiling face greeted me. I stepped back from his touch. I felt on edge again standing so close to him. "I'm sorry, Bella. I made you jump. Are you okay?"

"Yes, what do you want?" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I really had time to process my tone. I sounded rather sharp and defensive.

"I heard what happened this evening, Bella. I wanted to congratulate you. You handled the situation very well. You're a force to be reckoned with, Bella. Edward is a very luck man. You obviously love him very much. I hope that one day I will be as lucky as him." His eyes rested on my left hand holding my purse, on the ring to be precise.

Edward walked over to me and snaked his arm around my waist looking over at Mike.

I filled the silence with introductions. "Edward this is Mike. Mike Newton. Mike this is Edward Cullen." They both shook hands and nodded their heads slightly to each other.

"Mike Newton from the bakery?" Edward asked, looking at Mike for confirmation. Mike nodded again. "Thank you for helping Bella with the wedding cakes. I understand that the arrangement is working out very well. If I were you Mike, come Monday morning, you'd better be prepared for an enormous rise in orders for your goods. I think Bella here has just increased your profits for this year in just one evening." Edward pulled me into his side and kissed the top of my head. Mike watched and swallowed hard. I think he got the message loud and clear as Rose predicted.

"I had better make sure that I'm there very early Monday morning ready to man the phone. At this rate I may have to consider employing an assistant to help ease the load a little." He smiled at me genuinely. "I'll see you at some point next week when you bring in the next batch of flowers, Bella."

He then turned his attention to Edward. "It was good to meet you, Edward. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes open that no unsuspecting man tries to take Bella away from you. She would be very difficult to replace." He grinned at Edward. The double meaning was not lost on Edward. I felt his grip on my waist tighten a fraction and his body stiffen.

Mike reached out his hand to Edward as if he were challenging him to shake it. Edward did. I watched intently and noticed Edward's hand grip tighter than usual around Mike's hand. He didn't release his grip immediately and held Mike's gaze.

"I am well aware of how others regard Bella, Mike. Rest assured they would have to deal with me first before they could even touch a single hair on her head. Bella means more to me than anything else in my life." He finally released Mike's hand allowing it to drop. I noticed that Mike flexed his hand at his side, yet his face showed no visible sign of the discomfort that Edward had obviously caused.

Edward took my hand in his and we turned and followed the rest of the family to the waiting limo. Edward was very quiet in the limo. Rose looked over to me and smiled warmly. My stomach churned as I remembered her words earlier on today about Mike. I would have to tread very carefully if the subject of Mike came up at any point from Edward. Damage control would be very important right now.

When we arrived home, we all seemed to let out a sigh of relief. All we were looking forward to now, were our beds. The day had been a long one and the evening for me even longer. Edward helped to take off my shoes and hung my dress up for me. I settled into the bed as he undressed. He was still very quiet. When he finally crawled into bed he rolled over onto his side and pulled me close into his warm chest.

"I love you, Bella. With all my heart. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. No-one is going to take you away from me, ever." His soft voice caressed my ears as he kissed the top of my head.

"I love you too, Edward. The only place I want to be is at your side, always." I kissed his warm chest.

I welcomed the sleep engulfing me, as I listened to the gentle beat of Edward's heart.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Come on, you know you want to. REVIEW! Writer's have to be rewarded with words of encouragement from their readers!. This chapter must warrant a review even if you haven't sent one for any of the other chapters. Many thanks for reading. I will update soon after I update my other stories. Take care.


	43. Chapter 43

**Author's note;** Many thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. If I have not yet replied to you, don't worry I will! I had an amazing e-mail this morning waiting in my in-box. This little story of mine has been nominated for The Indie Twific Awards! In the Most Original Story Line WIP Category. I was so pleased and taken aback at the same time. My flabber has never been so gasted before! Thank you very much, to the person who nominated this story. You are very kind and encouraging. So the story continues. This chapter is more of a bridging chapter. Life gets back to a normal routine for everyone. Annoying people don't turn up everyday of the week! Anyway – enjoy.

**Beta reader;** Many thanks to NatalieRB for the help and encouragement.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight

**COOK WANTED**

Friday…. one week later

I can hardly believe that a whole week has gone by since we celebrated Edward's birthday. That was an amazing evening. All week I've worn the ring on the necklace that he gave me. It was an excellent idea of his. I'm sure that I would have lost it by now had I not had a chain to keep it on me at all times when I'm working.

The day after the function, Edward and I had a long talk about the situation with Mike. He wanted me to end the arrangement with the bakery for the wedding cakes. I had to make him understand that Mike was not worth pulling the plug on everything that was already organised. It would mean letting too many people down. He did understand in the end but of course is naturally protective of me. I managed to placate him promising that I would keep my visits to the bakery to a minimum. The only time I would be spending large amounts of time there would be when I was actually decorating the cakes. This just could not be done anywhere else. So he's happy with that for now as long as I'm happy. The only other thing I've had to promise is that Charlie always takes me over to the bakery so that someone is there if there is a problem. That's not a problem for me. Charlie is the next best person to have with me as an unofficial 'body guard'.

I still think about last Saturday, occasionally. I don't allow it to take up too much room in my mind but when I had to go to the bakery Tuesday morning with the next batch of flowers, I had to prepare myself for seeing Mike again. I must admit that I breathed a sigh of relief when I arrived to be told that he had gone to a meeting. My visit that day was short. The more days that have passed since Saturday the more resolute I've become. I was not going to let Mike ruin anything for me. That's if he even wanted to be bothered anymore.

Edward has settled into a new routine now that he is on the Surgery Team. He hasn't missed ICU one moment. It was definitely the right decision for him. He also gets to be at home a little more and so far he has been home every night. But I'm sure that won't last forever. I'm not expecting it to. He has a lot to learn after all and he has to show that he's committed to this new undertaking. It's expected of him.

So, I've cleared everything away from this morning's breakfast feast and mopped the floor. Charlie should be here in a few minutes and then I can take the last batch of flowers for the July cake to the bakery. I was able to spend a lot of time making them this week which means that I can concentrate on making samples for Rose to give me the go ahead for her cake.

"Morning, Bella." Charlie's cheery face greeted me as he entered the kitchen. "Are you ready to go?"

"Hi, Charlie, yes I've got everything. Let's go?" I carried the box of flowers carefully as Charlie took my purse in his hand and followed me out to the car.

"Will you be over at the Forks house this weekend, Bella?" Charlie asked looking at me in the rear view mirror.

"Yes that's the plan, Charlie. It feels like such a long time since we spent a weekend over there." I mused, as we meandered our way through Friday morning traffic. We eventually arrived at the bakery and Charlie helped to hold the precious cargo as I organised myself, keys ready in my hand.

I pushed the entry door open with my back and began to walk down the hallway to my work room. Mike's door was firmly shut.

Without to much fuss I opened the work room door. The storage boxes on the shelves seemed to smile at me as if greeting the final creations to complete the project. I smiled to myself. Another successful cake was almost finished.

Numerous messages had been left on the answer machine at the house to congratulate me on the wedding cake that had recently featured in one of the gossip columns of the newspaper, recording the news of the most recent society wedding. Alice had encouraged me to cut the article out and keep it in one of the sleeves of the portfolio in order to show it to those who were undecided about placing an order with me. So far I didn't have to use it but Alice always came up with good ideas and I would definitely do this in the future.

"Hi, Bella. I thought I heard you opening the door. How are you?" I turned to greet Mike. He was standing in the doorway, as he had not that long ago, with a smile on his lips. _Whatever happens, Bella, keep your head. Charlie is just outside._

"Hi, Mike. I'm very well thanks. How about you? Have you been busy this week?" I kept my voice light and the questions basic.

"I'm fine thanks. I've been busy since Monday morning. A few more people have contacted me, since the function. I'm seriously thinking of taking on two more staff." He tilted his head and rested it against the doorjamb, his arms folded at his chest.

"So, Edward was right." I began not wanting to miss the opportunity to mention his name.

"About what?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

I knew exactly what to say. "That business would pick up for you. I wouldn't have believed him that my working in conjunction with the bakery would have such an impact. Let's hope that the arrangement can continue without any problems." I said calmly, whilst transferring the flowers from one box to another. _He has too much to lose, just like Jacob._

"As always you're right, Bella. I'm very pleased with the arrangement. I take it you'll be in sometime next week to decorate the cake. It'll be ready Tuesday morning and sitting on the work table for you." He pushed himself away from his position and stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at me intently, his eyes were a dark blue.

"That's great, Mike. I'll be here Tuesday, sometime after nine to start work on it. I'll be double checking with Rose about her cake and confirm her order with you then." I shut my box and placed the other one on the shelf. I turned to face Mike. His eyes lingered on my face for a moment and then fell on the ring hanging from the necklace, around my neck.

"I take it Edward gave you the ring." He gave a small nod in my direction.

I reached my hand up and touched it, protectively. "Yes, a pre curser to an Engagement Ring. It's lovely isn't it?" _Am I pushing my luck with that question? _

"Yes, it is, Bella. It suits you. He has very good taste…in everything." His voice trailed off at the last two words. He shut his eyes for a brief moment. I could only imagine the thoughts going through his head.

When he focused on me again he seemed to take a deep breath and turned as if to leave. "I had better get back to work and let you start you're weekend. I hope you enjoy yourself, Bella. I'll see you Tuesday." His tone was despondent and not lost on me.

"Yes, thanks Mike. You have a good weekend too. See you Tuesday." I hoped I didn't sound too victorious at this point. I couldn't help my tone being light. I felt as though a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. He already had his back to me when he nodded at my words and then made his way back to his office. It seemed that he had finally backed down without a fight.

Without any hesitation, I picked up my purse and made my way back to Charlie. As soon as I sat on the back seat I undid the clasp of the necklace and slipped the ring on my finger, securing the necklace back in place. We made good time getting back. I had already packed my bag for the journey to Forks. I thanked Charlie and went to get my bag and jacket for my little solo road trip.

I got comfortable in the red VW and brought the car to life. Finding a radio station that I wouldn't mind listening to for the journey, I drove through the streets of the city to join the highway to take me to Forks.

Hours later I drove up the drive to the house. It seemed to smile at me. I loved the peace that surrounded it. I smiled and wondered if Edward would take me to his special place this weekend. Very much would depend on the weather. It would just be nice spending some quiet time with the family and nothing more.

Angela greeted me as I walked along the hallway to the bottom of the staircase.

"Hi, Bella. I haven't seen you for a while. I understand that I should be congratulating you. I really hope that you and Edward are very happy together. I seems amazing that you joined us only a little while ago, and now, you are very much part of the family." Her smile was warm and genuine and she seemed a little excited.

"Thanks Angela. You are very kind. I'll go and unpack." My foot was hovering on the first step.

"I was going to pour myself a coffee. Would you like one too, Bella?" She said, obviously wanting to spend some catch-up time with me.

"Oh, that would be lovely. I'll be down in a few minutes and we can chat."

Angela smiled and nodded, heading for the kitchen as I went up to Edwards room to quickly unpack my bag. As I walked into his room I breathed a sigh of relief. As much as I loved the city house, Forks was much more restful. Edward would be home later. He would be getting a lift from Carlisle and Esme today, and then returning to the city with me Sunday evening, ready for work Monday morning. The change in our schedule was only minor. It certainly didn't involve us spending any less time together.

I freshened up in the bathroom after I unpacked.

Making my way downstairs I headed for the kitchen. Angela was sitting at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee ready for me and a small plate of cookies on the table.

I made myself comfortable, sitting opposite Angela and took a sip of coffee and reached for a cookie.

"Thanks for this Angela. So, how are things here?"

"Not as entertaining as they are in the city by all accounts, Bella" Her tone was light but she looked at me with narrowed eyes, indicating that she wanted details.

"Where do you want me to begin, Angela?"

"Well you could start with, when he gave you the ring." She reached across the table and held my hand to get a better look at it. She smiled and took another sip of her coffee.

"Well, we went out to celebrate Edward's birthday last Friday as we were going to be attending the Charity Function the next day. We all went for a lovely meal at Esme's favourite restaurant. The last thing I expected was to be given presents. During the meal he gave me the ring and then this necklace." I held it away from my chest so that Angela could see it better.

"I take it you put the ring on the chain when you're working. What a brilliant idea.

He thought of everything didn't he?"

"I just didn't know what to say to him. I was so overwhelmed by the whole evening.

We had a lovely time together as a family."

"So, tell me about the function then. I've only heard a few rumours from one of the other housekeepers in the city. From what I was told that was pretty eventful as well."

"Tell me what you've heard Angela. It was a busy evening for all of us." I was not going to reveal any more information than I had too.

"Well, I heard from Mrs Thompson's housekeeper that Sarah overheard Edward's ex being very unpleasant towards you." Her tone was indignant.

"That's right. I think she had had a little too much to drink. Lots of people did. Anyway, I refused to be dragged into some kind of slanging match. I just told her in no uncertain terms that I would not be breaking Edward's heart the way she did. It wasn't until later that I found out the Sarah defended me when Tanya said things behind my back. I was amazed that someone I didn't really know would do that for me. Edward was very proud of me. He said that I had handled myself very well considering who I was dealing with." I sat back in my chair having finished my coffee.

"And she hasn't been seen since." Angela began. "Charlie heard that snippet of news from one of the other drivers. I wouldn't be surprised if she went up to Alaska to stay with her relatives for a while. I doubt if she'll be invited to any parties in the near future." She sounded very smug.

"Alaska! Alice said something about her going there. I thought that was just something she said in jest."

"She might do well up there. There are plenty of men who might enjoy her company." Angela's smile broadened and she began to chuckle.

"I do feel a little sorry for her, Angela."

"What on earth for, Bella? She certainly doesn't deserve your sympathy."

"She made a mistake, Angela. We've all made mistakes in our lives, haven't we?"

"You are too kind, Bella. She isn't someone you need to worry about anymore. You have got a whole life ahead of you to plan and that now includes Edward. I hope you will both be very happy together. When will you take him down to Phoenix to meet your parents?" _That wasn't something that I had thought about during this busy week._

"We'll have to sort that out soon. When Edward has a weekend free then hopefully we'll be able to visit them."

"They're sure to like him, Bella. There's no doubt about that. The Cullen family are going to be very busy over the next year. I don't suppose you've been told about your rooms here being converted into accommodation for Alice, Jasper and the twins."

"No, I haven't been given that news as yet. That sounds like a really good idea. When do they start working on it?"

"Monday. The contractors have already been and taken measurements and submitted plans to change the kitchen/dinning area up there into a large bedroom with an en suite for the twins and the lounge will have a small kitchen area put in, a breakfast bar and seating area. I'm sure Alice and Jasper will be very happy with it once it's all done. Of course, Mrs Cullen is going to be overseeing all of it and will have it all redecorated for them. I think they're hoping it will all be done sometime before the wedding. Until the twins arrive I should think Alice and Jasper will stay in the room they have now. I doubt if Alice could manage the stairs towards the end of her time. Either that or they'll stay in the City so that they're close to the hospital."

"That would seem the logical thing to do. Alice is getting quite big even now."

"I look forward to seeing her tomorrow when I pop in. Now back to food for the weekend. I got the basics in for you, Bella and I checked the freezer. There should be enough supplies in there to keep everyone happy while they're here."

"Thank you Angela. Efficient as always."

"As are you, Bella. Right, I had better get home now and I might see you in the morning for a time. Congratulations once again, Bella. 'Bye." She gave me a small wave as she left the room to go back to her office.

"Thank you Angela. 'Bye." I sat for a moment to absorb all the information that Angela had shared with me.

I cleared away the cups and the plate of left over cookies, putting them back in the container. I had plenty of time before the family would be home so decided to make something for dinner. The easiest thing to make was going to be meatballs and spaghetti with my rich tomato sauce. I set to work.

Two hours later everything was ready. All I had to do was cook the spaghetti when they arrived and heat the meatballs through. I would slice the loaf of bread that Angela had bought, later.

With a little time to spare I went upstairs and had a shower, tying my hair up in a ponytail. Just as I was dressing again the bedroom door opened. And there he was. My wonderful Edward! He looked a little tired but still managed to give me a smile as he walked towards me to hug me and kiss my lips tenderly.

"You have a shower while I get the meal ready. You've got twenty minutes otherwise Emmett will probably eat your share as well." I joked and turned to leave the room so that I wouldn't distract him.

"Bella?" He asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"Yes?" I turned to read his face. He was looking a little serious.

"How was your visit to the bakery today?" _Now I know why._

"Absolutely fine, Edward. Really there is nothing you need to worry about. I'll be decorating the next cake this week." I reassured him.

"Good. Sometime during the week I would love to go there with you and have a look at it." He asked managing a small smile.

"Of course I'd love you to see it. You have twenty minutes, okay?" I reminded him.

I made my way downstairs to be greeted by a very hungry Emmett already sitting at the dinning table with a cup of coffee placed in front of him.

"Bella, there you are! I could smell the food but when I checked the kitchen you weren't here." His tone was anxious. No doubt that his stomach was protesting at the lack of attention it was getting.

"Don't panic Emmett. You only have to wait another twenty minutes. I just have to finish cooking and lay the table."

"Oh, let me lay the table, Bella. You just stay in the kitchen and concentrate on the dinner." He suddenly swung into action.

I busied myself in the kitchen and put the final touches to the meal. Carlisle greeted me warmly and opened two bottles of red wine ready for the meal.

When I checked on Emmett he had set the table and was setting out the wine glasses.

I organised a jug of water and Emmett fetched it and placed it on the table. Everyone began to file down and take their places at the table. We began to talk about our day as I served up the food in the kitchen, placing the extra food in the oven to keep warm.

With Edward's help, I took out the plates to the family. We sat and ate, continuing our conversations. Emmett kindly put on a pot of coffee at the end of the meal while I cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. Everyone was very relaxed, partly due to the wine we had had with the meal but also due to the fact that it was the end of the week and the weekend was not going to be making any demands on us.

I now had a chance to ask him my important question. "Edward, when do you think we'd be able to go to Phoenix so that my parents can meet you?" I asked lightly so that he didn't feel pressured.

"Yes, of course, Bella." He looked over to me smiling. "We must get that arranged. I'm not too sure when though. It may be a little difficult to get the time off."

"I understand. You have only just started the new job." _This going to be difficult._

"Bella?" Esme began. "Do you think that your parents would like to come up to Seattle to visit? That way Edward would not have to take a few days off just maybe a few hours in order to meet your parents. What do you think?" _Great idea!_

"Really? I think that's a great idea. I know they would love to see where I work and get a feel of what I'm doing. I sure they would agree to that. Thank you so much for the offer Esme. Once I've spoken to them, I'll let you know. Would there be a particular weekend that would suit you?"

Esme smiled at me and answered without any hesitation.

"Anytime is fine with us, Bella. They are your parents after all. We can work things around them if necessary. It's much more important that they come to see the two of you." Her tone was resolute.

"I'll give them a call in the morning and get things organised. Thank you Esme so much." I pulled her into a hug as she was about to leave the kitchen.

"You're welcome Bella." _Esme is just wonderful!_

Edward was looking very tired by this time. It was getting late so he decided to go to bed, closely followed by Alice who had at one point fallen asleep at the table resting her head on Jasper's shoulder.

After Jasper had made sure that Alice was comfortable in bed, he returned to the kitchen and challenged Emmett and Rose to an Xbox game. Jasper quickly made sure that I was on his team.

It was about one in the morning before Emmett gave up. He and Rose had lost three out of five games.

"Don't worry, Em. We'll beat them at this game another time. We need to go to bed before we end up sleeping on the floor down here." Rose had a point. We were all very tired and finally made our way upstairs to our rooms quietly so as not to wake the four that had by now been sleeping for a couple of hours.

**End of Chapter**


	44. Chapter 44

**Author's note;** Many thanks to all of you who continue to follow this little story of mine. I thank all of you for the lovely reviews and the continued support by way of people putting this story on their Favourite Lists, Story Alert Lists and even putting little old me on their Favourite Author Lists. You are all very kind and I am very pleased, to say the least. I know I haven't updated in about a week or so. That's a long time for me but as some of you are aware the new story I started recently has taken on a life of its own and I can't seem to leave it alone. So I had a word with myself and told myself that the reader's of Cook Wanted deserved better than this and I finally got over my writer's block on this story and I give you now, a new chapter! Please read and enjoy. Warning; LEMONS!!

**Beta Reader;** Many thanks to NatalieRB for your continued support and encouragement. (She does not Beta the Lemons. I won't let her!).

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but it did inspire me to come up with this story because of the wonderful characters therein.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

"Good morning, sleepy head." _Edward's sultry voice caressing my ears first thing in the morning is the most wonderful wake up call._

"Humm." _Having gone so late to bed the night before I find it really hard to even put together coherent words._

"I take it you would like a cup of coffee?" He shifted in the bed and reached over to plant a kiss on my cheek.

"Ummm." Was my only answer.

I heard the bedroom door gently click as he left the room. I kept my eyes firmly shut.

As much as I knew I should be putting the coffee pot on, I just didn't have the energy to move. I drifted off back to sleep.

"Bella! Bella!" Edward almost whispered into my ear, his breath fanning my cheek.

"Ummm?" My non verbal question was answered when the aroma of the coffee hit me.

I hauled myself to sit up in bed, my eyes still not open. Edward gave a little chuckle at my action. I opened one eye, slowly focusing and then the other.

"Wow you are tired this morning. I think the week must have caught up with you." Edward handed me a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, it has been a little full on. Is anyone else up yet?" I looked over to him finally able to take in his wonderful face. _God, I love this man!_

"Yep. Only the whole family." He grinned and took a sip of his coffee.

"What! What time is it?!"

"Eleven." He chuckled.

"Oh, no!" A feeling of guilt washed over me.

"What's the matter?" He asked a little panic in his tone.

"I should have been up ages ago to get breakfast done!" I retorted.

"Why?" His tone relaxed a little.

"Because…" I began.

"It's your job?" He interrupted me.

I smiled weakly at him. I still had trouble getting used to the fact that the family really didn't mind if I didn't cook at the weekends. Esme had already said a few weeks back that it really wasn't expected of me. The week days were the priority. _Relax, Bella relax._

I took another sip of my coffee and relaxed again to allow my body time to catch up with my now wide awake brain. My feelings of guilt finally dissipated when I suddenly had the urge to ring my parents. After Esme's kind offer to have mom and dad stay at the city house in order for them to meet Edward, I would need to get the arrangements sorted out as soon as possible. I took advantage of the peace and quiet and reached for my phone. Edward gave me a side wards glance as he sipped at his coffee and smiled as I began to speak.

"Mom? Hi, it's me! How are you both?"

"Sweetheart I'm so glad you called. I was going to ring you to see how you are but I know how busy you are. We're fine, darling. How are you?"

"Really well and yes, busy as you say. I must admit but I've only just woken up."

"That's not like you at all! Are you feeling okay?" Her tone held a note of worry.

"I'm fine mom. I just had a very hectic week so I think I'm finally catching up on some much needed rest." I reassured her.

"That's okay then. How is Edward?"

"Oh, well, what can I say? Wonderful!" I reached out my hand to hold Edward's as if to confirm that fact.

"Good. I'm glad everything is still okay with you two." Her tone was one of being genuinely pleased.

"Mom I'm ringing to tell you that Esme has come up with a brilliant idea. Because of Edward's work commitments he can't really getaway for any length of time in the near future. We wondered if you would like to come and visit us?"

"What up to Seattle?" She sounded surprised.

"Yes mom. The City house has a guest suite and even if Edward were working you would get to meet him in between shifts. He's just recently joined the surgery team so getting any time off just yet will not be happening."

"That's wonderful news Bella. We would love to come up. Dad can take a Friday off and then we would have the whole weekend together." She sounded really excited now.

"Fantastic! When would you be able to come up then? Bearing in mind the Emmett and Rose's wedding is next month it would be good if you could come up sometime this month."

"Absolutely, sweetheart. You are all going to be very busy with the final arrangements. Let me just check the calendar. Hmm. It looks like next weekend is going to be the best for us if that's okay?"

"Great, next weekend it is. We haven't got anything arranged so we can do some things together. I'll take you on a quick tour of the sights while Edward's at work."

"That sounds perfect, Bella. I'll get things organised our end and I'll let you know soon about the time of the flight. I'm really excited about seeing you, darling and meeting Edward. You're absolutely sure that we are not going to be an imposition."

"Positive, mom. Esme wouldn't have suggested it otherwise." I confirm.

"Lovely. I'll speak to you soon, sweetheart. Love you. Give my best to Edward and his family won't you." I could visualise the smile on her face.

"Of course. I love you too. Love to dad."

"'Bye!"

"'Bye, mom."

I shut my phone and breathed a sigh of relief that they were able to come up next weekend. I picked up my coffee cup from the night stand and finished off the tepid liquid.

"I take it that's a yes then?" Edward asked as he set his cup down.

"Yes, she's quite excited about the idea. She's going to get everything organised their end and then ring and let me know the flight times for when they arrive."

"Make sure you organise with Charlie to take you to the airport and collect them won't you. That will be far less stressful than doing the drive yourself." He said looking at me seriously.

"Good idea. I know that Charlie will know a few short cuts to get us there and back quickly."

"Best to let him know that you need him Friday and then sort out the details nearer the time. That way he won't end up being double booked." _Edward is so thoughtful._

"Yes, Edward I had thought of that. I'm getting quite used to him ferrying me around now. My own personal chauffer." I quipped. The comment earned me a sexy grin from Edward.

"And what am I then? You're personal stress reliever?" His grin was beginning to put my mind into overdrive.

"Yes and your very good at it. Actually I could do with a little stress relief right now, if you don't mind?" I looked at him from under my lashes.

"Ummm. I can't think of a better way to start the day than doing that. Come here you." His chest was becoming quite flushed. _Thank goodness we're thinking of the same thing._

He took the cup from my hands and reached for my hips, pulling me over to straddle his lap. In just a few short minutes after kissing each other, I encased him and almost immediately gasped as my first high coursed through my body. This was certainly by far the best way to start the day. All of my senses were heightened as we made love. The feeling of him throbbing inside me and my body immediately responding, was still amazing to me. We were now so attuned to each other. As we fluidly changed positions without even uttering a word, I smiled to myself in the knowledge that we truly were the best things that had ever happened in each others lives.

As he came close to reaching his high, I whispered in his ear, "I love you, Edward. Nothing in this world makes me feel as good as this." He moaned my name and we both tipped over the edge together. Perfectly synchronised.

We lay in each others arms for a short time, regaining our normal breathing pattern and then headed for the shower.

When we finally made our way downstairs the whole family were engaged in one form of activity or another around the breakfast table. Esme and Carlisle were in the process of reading a Sunday paper, having shared out the supplements between them. Alice and Rose were going over some designs that Alice had recently come up with and Jasper was reading a new history book he had recently bought.

Emmett looked up to us. "Oh, so you are alive then? We all thought you had died and gone to heaven." He smirked. He was busy rooting around in the fridge looking for something to eat no doubt.

"You could say that, Emmett." I retorted cheekily.

Edward grinned at me. "That's my girl. Put Emmett in his place." Hugging me close to his side.

"How about we go down to the diner for something to eat?" Carlisle asked, gaining nods of approval at the idea.

"Do you think we need to book with so many of us going at once?" I asked, my catering head firmly screwed on.

Carlisle nodded and rang the number quickly. A minute later he answered my question.

"Good thinking, Bella. They are just getting the tables organised for us now. Apparently they are quite busy today. Must have something to do with the dry weather we're having. Thanks for that, Bella."

We got ready to leave, taking two cars. Alice and Jasper joined us in the VW and Carlisle and Esme rode with Emmett and Rose in the Jeep.

When we arrived, the diner was indeed busy. The car park was almost full.

We made our way in and immediately saw the area that had been set aside for us.

The locals were certainly not used to the Cullen's eating out in Forks en masse. Heads turned as we took our places at the tables and the waitress had a certain look of fear on her face no doubt a little daunted at the task she was about to undertake. Just looking at Emmett would have put that fear in her by itself.

Esme immediately put her at ease, when she walked over with the menus.

"Hello. I promise we won't be too demanding of your time. We're not in any hurry so take your time. I don't want you to rush on our behalf." She smiled sweetly at the waitress.

"Thank you Mrs Cullen. My name is Amy. Can I get you some drinks?" We gave Amy the drinks order and she scurried away to see to them while we decided on what we would like to eat. It took us all about twenty minutes to decide during which time Amy was able to serve some other customers and clear a few tables.

When she returned to take our orders, Carlisle gave her the list that he had memorised and she carefully jotted down everything that we required.

We relaxed into casual conversation around the table. We all laughed when Emmett's stomach growled so loudly that we could all hear. He was way overdue his lunch!

I excused myself from the table and made my way to the restrooms. On my way back out I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Jacob!" My heartbeat resounded in my ears.

"Bella! I saw you walking this way. I just wanted to talk to you. Alone."

"I really don't think that we have anything to say to each other. I said everything I needed to last Saturday." I took two step forwards in order to walk past Jacob.

In one swift movement he reached out and grabbed my upper arm to stop me. I turned and looked at him as fiercely as I could. He didn't let go. My stomach lurched. I felt like slapping him across the face, I was so incensed at him. I quickly thought better of it. Not knowing him well enough I had no idea as what instant reaction I would receive from him, if I had struck him. I looked down at his hand holding me in place. I looked back up at him and spoke as clearly as possible so that he was sure to hear me.

"What is it Jacob? I didn't come here alone. They will wonder where I am."

"I know you're with Edward and his family. I won't take up too much of your time. Please?" He still held my arm fast.

"Okay, Jacob, I'm listening. What is it?" _He is such a jerk!_

"I wanted to say how sorry I am for last week, for speaking to you in that way."

"Why don't you just leave it, Jacob! You'd had too much to drink. You were not the only one that evening, I can tell you." _I'd rather forget the night completely._

"I really shouldn't have propositioned you like that. You deserve better."

"Yes, Bella certainly does." Edward appeared from around the corner. My heart leapt at the sight of him. He eyes were dangerous in a bad way and were fixed on Jacob's face.

"Take your dirty paws off her, Jacob!" Jacob immediately let go. His gaze met the floor as he shifted his body nervously.

"So what exactly was this proposition, Jacob?" Edward held his gaze to Jacob.

Jacob didn't answer. He looked up at me apologetically.

"I'm speaking to you Jacob. I think you've said enough to Bella. Don't you?" I knew that Edward could see me in his peripheral vision. I looked his direction willing him, with my eyes, not to escalate the situation.

"I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour." Jacob continued, defiantly looking at me. He then looked over at Edward and they seemed to be caught up in some kind of staring contest.

"It seems that you have done just that, so if I were you I'd be on my way, straight out of the diner door. Now!" I could hear the anger in Edward's voice even though his volume had not increased. In fact I think I actually heard him growl.

Jacob looked over to me once again.

"No, Jacob. Don't even look at her. Go!" He said through clenched teeth. The muscle near his jaw twitched a couple of times.

Jacob's shoulders slumped in defeat and he turned and made his way out of the narrow hallway and straight to the diner door. He slammed it slightly behind him, an indication the he had left as far as we were concerned.

I walked over to where Edward was standing and reached out to hold his hand. He flinched slightly at my touch. I pulled my hand away. He was still focused on his anger with Jacob. He took in a deep breath and seemed to snap back to where he was physically. He looked down at me and took my hand in his.

"Sorry, Bella." He breathed.

"What for?" _He doesn't have to apologise for anything._

"I do have a bit of a temper." He smirked.

"Warranted in this case, Edward. I'm glad you showed up." I rubbed his forearm more for my benefit than his.

"So am I. He had no right to touch you? Did he hurt you?" He looked deep into my eyes for the truth.

"No, Edward." I replied. He face softened at my words.

"Good. I'm just relieved that we're in the city during the week. I don't think I could stand the idea of him seeing you very often. Especially after this."

"We need to get back to the table. They'll be wondering where we are." Holding hands we made our way back to the family.

Carlisle looked over to us, concern on his face. "Is everything alright, Edward?"

"Yes, thanks dad. We're just fine. Hey this food looks good! I'm suddenly very hungry." He feigned a smile and we both began to eat.

When he finished eating he rested his hand on my thigh, rubbing circles with his thumb. The area of flesh beneath the jean material became warm. I thought about how he had stood up to Jacob, as I finished my meal. Edward had every right to demand that Jacob leave. I was proud of Edward. Any kind of violence would have been childish on his part although I knew without any shadow of a doubt, if we had been anywhere not overlooked, it would have no doubt become a physical encounter. Edward had kept his temper well and truly under control.

We managed to get back into the various conversations that were going on around the table. Not once did Edward's hand leave its place on my thigh. It was as if he needed to touch me in order to know that everything was okay.

We finished our meal with a round of coffees. Esme went over to the kitchen and personally thanked the chef for the food. I knew that would be appreciated. Amy was left a generous tip on the table and we left happy and with full stomachs.

When we arrived back at the house, Rose snaked her arm into mine. "Bella I really need to talk to you about the cake for a moment." She turned and looked at Edward with one of her sugar sweet smiles. "Edward, do you mind if I just hijack Bella? I won't keep her long."

"Of course not, Rose. I'll be upstairs, Bella, checking on my e-mails." He leaned into me and kissed my mouth gently. I shut my eyes and inhaled his scent.

"I'll miss you." I whispered as he pulled away from me. He gave me one of his disarming grins and made his way up the stairs.

Rose pulled me into the lounge and shut the door. She motioned for me to sit down and sat down next to me on the large couch.

"Have you changed your mind about the design of the cake? There is still time to do that. It won't be a problem." _I just hope it isn't anything too complicated._

"No, Bella. I won't to know what happened at the diner with Jacob. I saw him follow you to the restroom." Her tone was her 'no nonsense' one.

"Oh, Rose. It really is okay. Edward spoke to him. It's okay, I promise." I tried to reassure her.

"No, Bella it's not okay. You must tell me what happened. Jacob works for me. I need to know what he's done. Based on what you tell me I will need to talk to him."

"Rose, promise me you won't do anything rash. It isn't necessary."

"Come on spill." There was no way that she would let me out of the room unless I told her the truth.

"He asked me for a dance at the Charity Function. He'd had a little too much to drink. He wasn't the only one who had." I began.

"I realise that Bella. Carry on." She continued to look intently at my face,

"When we were dancing he asked me to go back to his hotel to have a nightcap."

"He what?!" Her voice rose to octaves.

"Of course I refused, Rose. I told him that he didn't know what he was saying because he had had too much to drink. I also showed him Edward's ring. He then backed down. That's it, Rose. Nothing more."

"And today?" _No, she's not giving up. _

"He wanted to apologise. Obviously Edward had seen him follow me to the restrooms. Edward walked in on the conversation. Jacob was trying to apologise for what he had said to me. He was obviously feeling really bad about it that it had played on his mind for a week."

"What did Edward say to him?"

"Basically that he was to leave me alone. To not even look at me." I answered strongly.

"Good. God, I don't know how Edward managed to deep his temper. I would have hit him." She looked away for a moment.

"What are you going to do, Rose? He doesn't deserve to lose his job over this. Please don't do that. I know he won't bother me again. He looked pretty shaken after Edward spoke to him." I really didn't want him to suffer for this.

"Fine, seeing it's you that's asking, Bella. But I will be talking to him once I have calmed down. I have to pay a visit to the work shop anyway, sometime this week to see how things are going. If he weren't such a good mechanic I probably would fire him you know. Without any hesitation."

"I know, Rose." I reached for her hand and held it in mine.

"Right, I'll drop the subject now. I won't keep you from Edward any longer. You had better go and make sure that he's okay." She gave me a small smile.

"Thanks Rose. I'll do that, now." We hugged and I left the room with Rose following to make her way to the breakfast room to resume looking at Alice's designs.

I made my way upstairs to our room. I opened the door quietly and shut it making my way over to where he was sitting in front of the computer. I stood behind him and placed my hands on his shoulders. I could feel that his muscles were a little tense under his shirt. I slowly began to rub his shoulders.

"Ummm, that feels good, Bella."

"You are definitely a little tense just here Dr Cullen." _Just touching him is making my stomach twitch._

I deepened the massage across his shoulders. His head lolled back showing me how much he enjoyed the sensations. I leaned over and kissed his neck trailing kisses up to his jaw. _He tastes so good. I know what else tastes good too._

"Ummm, Bella. I think you should stop doing that." His eyes were shut and he was breathing deeply.

"And why is that Dr Cullen?" I asked still kissing him I had now reached his temple with the trail of kisses.

"Well, Miss Swan I'm actually getting a little tense in some other places now."

"Oh, really, Dr Cullen." I began to trail kisses down the other side of his face and continued with the massage.

"Yes, Miss Swan. It seems that you may well have to work your magic fingers elsewhere. I'm feeling very tense right her." He took one of my hands and placed it on top of the bulge that had formed under his trousers.

I sighed into his neck sending a shiver down him. "I had better see to that for you then, my love."

"Ummm, Bella. You will be the death of me."

"Dr Cullen. What a way to go." I smiled as I walked around him and stood in front of him. _He wasn't looking at the computer monitor anymore anyway._

I kneeled down on the floor between his open legs. I slowly undid his belt, then the button and zip of his trousers. He reached down to my face and began to caress my cheeks. I freed his hardened length from the confines of his boxers. I placed my hand around him, pumping gently. He let out a moan and reached his hands into my hair entangling his fingers into it.

I leaned forward and licked him quickly in short bursts. He writhed in the chair, obviously enjoying what I was doing. I licked him with a little more force and ran my tongue down his length. He began to fist my hair. I enclosed my mouth around him.

He groaned. "Bella, you are so good."

I began to bob my head up and down gently at first and then increased the pace holding a couple of fingers around the base of his length.

He hissed at my ministrations and writhed again beneath me. I placed my hand on his hip, to hold him as still as possible.

"Oh, Bella, this…won't…take…long." He breathed and groaned again. I was becoming very aroused by this time. _This is not about me right now._

I hummed and the vibrations ran through his length. He fisted my hair harder and began to pull my head down on him harder. I could feel him hit the back of my throat. I prepared myself and made the muscles at the back of my throat go slack.

"Bella! Bella! I'm…going…to…come! I hummed, concentrating on my pace, again so that he would know that I was ready. I felt his length engorge for the final time before I felt the warm liquid spill from him and fill the back of my throat. I swallowed hard until he had finally finished. I pulled my mouth away slowly as he softened, licking him clean. He relaxed his hands in my hair, letting his fingers run through the length of it.

I looked up at him to see his face completely relaxed and glowing. As his breathing returned to normal he opened his eyes and looked down at me. He cupped my face and traced the outline of my mouth with his thumb.

"Miss Swan, I do love you." He smiled looking into my eyes.

"Dr Cullen, I love you too, very much." I reached up to him, snaking my arm around his neck and pulled his head towards mine. I kissed his mouth, chastely.

"I'd love to hear you play my lullaby, Edward. I haven't heard you play in a while." I smiled.

"Your wish is my command, Bella, my love." I stood up as he organised his trousers and buckled his belt up. He ran his fingers through his hair and stood to snake his arm around the back of me to turn the computer off.

We made our way downstairs and I went to the kitchen to make us a cup of herbal tea.

Edward seated himself at the piano and practised a little. When I took the cups of tea into the room and set them down on the small table, he began to play my lullaby. I snuggled down into one of the comfy chairs so that I could watch him play.

His talent never ceased to amaze me. _He is _the_ perfect man._

He spent about two hours playing tunes to me and then Esme and Alice joined us to sit and listen.

It was soon time to think about making something to eat for people. I stole myself into the kitchen and began to put together a bowl of scrambled eggs and a stack of toast.

With that made we all sat around the breakfast table enjoying the food and chatting. I remembered to tell Esme about the forthcoming visit by my parents the next weekend.

She smiled at me and said that everyone was looking forward to their visit.

The eventful day was fast coming to an end. I tidied up the kitchen and set off the dishwasher. In the morning, after breakfast we would be making our way back to the city house and back to the weekly routine.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Whether you did or did not, please review because you know it makes sense. Take care.


	45. Chapter 45

**Author's note;** Many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. I promise I will reply to all of you. You are all very kind. I would also like to thank those who have just started reading this story due to the fact that it has been nominated for the Indie Twific Awards. I am very honoured and flattered. So, back to the story. Here is the next chapter. Bella's parents arrive for the weekend. I wonder how it will go? Enjoy.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I adore the characters.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday

Since coming back from Forks at the weekend, this week seemed to fly by. Arrangements had been made for my mom and dad to visit Seattle for the weekend. I was beginning to get a little nervous thinking about them meeting Edward and his family for the first time. I sat at the kitchen work surface finishing a sugar paste flower for Rose and Emmett's wedding cake.

I had already made samples at the beginning of the week. The colours of the flowers were similar to those in a rainbow. Rose was beside herself when I showed her the samples. She said that she could visualise perfectly how the cake was going to look and quickly drew me a sketch of how she wanted the flowers to be arranged. The sketch was now my plan. It would look wonderful and the only one of it's kind.

As I finished the flower I placed it carefully in the box with the others, ready to be transported to the bakery.

"Morning, Bella!" Charlie's cheerful voice rang out as he entered the house.

"Morning Charlie. I'm just getting everything together." I answered, sliding off the barstool to put together the things I needed to take with me.

"What time is the cake being collected?" He asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Nine. We have plenty of time to get there don't we, Charlie?" I picked up my purse and handed it to him along with the file.

"Certainly, but we need to go now to make sure though." He answered checking his watch.

"Okay, I'm ready!" I replied picking up the box of flowers.

"You're really doing well with those flowers, Bella. That's the second lot you've done isn't it?" He asked as he peered into the top of the box to have a quick look.

"Yep. I thought I'd get the orange and yellow flowers done before starting on the blues and purples." We walked out of the house and I made myself comfortable in the limo.

"Thank you, Charlie." I smiled at him as he shut the door for me. He nodded back to me.

He brought the limo to life and set off for the bakery.

When we arrived, Charlie opened the door for me and I made my way into the building.

Mike's office door was open. "Morning!" I called out. Things between Mike and I had improved immensely. Mike seemed to accept that Edward and I were together now. His acceptance of that fact was greatly appreciated. It made things so much easier and I felt that I was able to spend time at the bakery happily, whenever I needed to.

Mike had taken on two extra staff. One of them worked in the bakery area. He had only recently left High School and was therefore being trained for the job as he worked. From what Mike said of him, he was doing really well. Enthusiasm was not something that he lacked apparently.

The other new member of Mike's staff was Sarah. She was taken on as Mike's assistant. She was a welcome addition to the team. She already had some office experience and seemed to have re-organised Mike's office in such a way that things worked much more efficiently.

"Morning, Bella!" Sarah replied. I popped my head around the door to greet her properly.

"How are things, Sarah?" She pushed back from the desk and stood up to put some files away in the filing cabinet across the room.

"Going really well, thanks, Bella. The cake is being collected soon, isn't it? I nodded.

"Can I give you a hand with anything?" She looked over to me and smiled. I could see exactly why Mike was no longer pursuing me, in that one smile. Sarah had a lovely smile. She was twenty five and stood a little taller than me. Her dark blonde hair was neatly kept in a short bob. She took off her glasses as she spoke, her dark blue eyes looking sincerely in my direction. Today she was wearing a smart black skirt and white blouse. Yes, I could certainly see why Mike was completely happy with her work.

"Yes please, Sarah. I need to wrap it up for the journey. An extra pair of hands for the job would be great." She smiled again and nodded, placing her glasses on her desk as she walked across the room. We walked down the hallway together and I unlocked the work room door.

"Wow! That is some cake, Bella! Mike took pictures of it yesterday. I think he left a copy on his desk for you. Now what do I need to do?" I smiled at her and placed the newly made flowers in one of the storage boxes from the shelf.

"The wrapping is in the box in the corner." Sarah went over to the box and took out a section of the wrapping. We began to carefully cover the cake.

Ten minutes later the cake was ready to be transported.

"Thanks for the help, Sarah. The caterers will be here in about five minutes."

"No problem, Bella. I'm only too pleased to help." Her smile was genuine.

"So what are you doing this weekend, Sarah?" I asked as I secured the last piece of wrapping in place.

"Oh, probably washing my hair!" She chuckled.

"You're not going out at all?" I asked. I couldn't imagine Sarah spending a weekend stuck indoors.

Sarah's answer was interrupted by Mike arriving in the room.

"Hi, Bella!" He greeted me smiling.

"Hi, Mike. Can you believe that Sarah is going to be spending the weekend washing her hair?" I asked incredulously.

"No, I can't actually." Mike replied looking at her with a smile. Yes, I was right. He did like her for more than her efficiency in the office.

"I was going to ask you, Sarah, if you would join me for lunch today. By way of celebrating your first week here." He looked at her expectantly.

Sarah smiled back at him and nodded. "That's really nice of you, Mike. Thank you."

"Great, will one be okay for you, Sarah. I have a meeting to go to at eleven and should be back by half past twelve." He said looking at his watch.

"Yep, I'll be ready for one." Sarah replied. They interacted really well and were very much at ease with each other.

"Right, I've got some paper work I need to check over." Mike said as he turned to head back to the office.

"You have two messages on your desk, Mike. They need to be dealt with today." Sarah called out. _Yep. She's perfect for the job of keeping him in check._

"Okay, thanks, Sarah." Mike called back.

"I suppose I'd better get back to my desk." Sarah smiled at me.

"Thanks again for your help, Sarah. See you next week." I said. " Enjoy lunch!" I added.

She nodded and smiled as she left the room.

The caterers collected the cake on time and carefully loaded it into the waiting van.

I picked up my empty storage box and locked up the work room. I collected the picture of the finished cake from Mike's desk on my way out. He didn't even look up from his paperwork. Wonderful!

I made my way to Charlie and the waiting limo. Charlie held the door open for me.

Once I was settled, I placed the picture in the portfolio. There was little point in going back to the house, so we headed straight for the airport.

With the limo parked we made our way into the terminal. There was still a little time to wait so I suggested that we have a cup of coffee in the meantime. Charlie placed his hat on the table and we made ourselves comfortable.

"You seem a little nervous about seeing your parents, Bella." He observed, sipping his coffee.

"I suppose I am a little. I don't know why exactly though. It's not as though they aren't going to like Edward. What's not to like? My mom will probably adore him and dad's only worry is that I find someone to look after me properly. Edward is more than capable of that." I smiled at him and he nodded.

"You have nothing to worry about then, have you. The weekend will be just fine. You'll want me to take you all around the city I take it?" He said in a no-nonsense tone.

"It's your weekend off isn't it?" I asked, surprised.

"I'm not too worried about that, Bella. I can always take some time of during the week. I'd really love to do that for you if you want." His offer was genuine. _I can't think of a better idea._

"Charlie, I would really love it if you did. You know Seattle so much better than I do. I'll have to get Edward organised to book a couple of places for dinner. I'd love to take them sightseeing tomorrow and then if the weather is good, pack a picnic to take somewhere." He nodded in agreement to the ideas.

"Very good, Bella. Just ring and let me know where you'll be going this evening and then we can sort out what time you want me to collect you all in the morning." He stated.

"Thank you Charlie, I really do appreciate all that you do for me." He really did remind me so much of my dad. He was very thoughtful in everything he did.

"It's my pleasure, Bella." He quickly checked his watch for the time. "You're parents will be here soon. Let's get over to the arrivals gate and meet them." He picked up his hat and tucked it under his arm.

We walked over to the arrivals. I knew I would be able to spot dad without any problems as he stood just over six foot. I trained my eyes on the crowd filtering through. As I saw dad round the corner I waved to him. He waved back to me with a large smile gracing his face. A few strides later and I could see mom. She beamed at me through the crowd and they quickened their pace.

Finally I wrapped my arms around mom. "Oh, it's so good to see you. Did you have a good flight?"

"Yes, fine thanks, Bella." Mom answered. She looked over to Charlie as I embraced dad.

"Mom, dad, this is Charlie. He is the family Chauffer. Charlie has very kindly offered to be available to drive us around this weekend."

"So, pleased to meet you, Charlie." Mom gushed.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs Swan, Mr Swan." Charlie shook both mom and dad's hand.

"I'll go and bring the car around and meet you out front, Bella." He nodded to us politely.

"Thank you Charlie." He put his uniform hat back on and made his way to the limo.

"Wow, Bella! That is so kind of him." Mom said in awe of Charlie.

"I know mom. That's one thing I had to get used to. Everyone who works for the Cullen family, are very kind and nothing is too much for them to do for anyone." I added.

"You have settled in very well, haven't you, Bella?" You look really happy." Dad smiled and hugged me again.

"It's the best job I've ever had dad. I know I've only had a few jobs but this really is the best."

"I can't wait to meet Edward, sweetheart. Is he still at work at the moment?" Mom asked, as I picked up her bag.

"Yes mom. He said he hoped to get home around five. Right have you got everything? We'll go out front and get back to the house." I motioned for them to follow. Mom noticed my hand with the ring.

"Bella, is there something you should be telling us?" She held my hand up to look at the ring a little more closely.

"Oh, yes. Sorry about that. It's not an engagement ring so don't panic. It's a Promise Ring. Edward gave it to me on his birthday." I beamed.

"How wonderful, sweetheart. I take it that an engagement ring will follow shortly then?" She gushed.

"Not for the time being mom. We're still getting used to being together. I think getting engaged is a little way off for now." Mom smiled at me almost as if she knew something that I didn't. I shrugged it off. Mom was like that sometimes with her 'feelings'.

We reached the exit, just as Charlie pulled up to collect us. He got out of the limo and opened the back passenger door. Mom stood in shock. Dad smiled.

"Is this the car?" Mom whispered.

"Yes, mom. It was decided to use this because it's a little more comfortable than the other one." I winked knowingly at dad. He chuckled.

We settled into the limo and Charlie stowed the luggage away. Mom was still silent for half the journey back to the house.

"I think mom's going to put one of these on her Christmas list if I'm not careful, I think she's fallen in love with it." Dad looked over to her in disbelief that she was still silent.

"I must admit, dad, I found it quite difficult at first to get used to the life style but then I eased into it quite quickly."

"I had high hopes for you, Bella, as all parents do. You have done really well, darling. As long as you're happy then we are too." He hugged me to his side and kissed my temple.

"Thanks, dad." I replied. _So far so good._

We arrived at the house. As Charlie pulled the limo into the drive, once again mom was silent. I smiled at dad. _At this rate it's going to be very quiet weekend!_

Charlie opened the door for us and I lead mom and dad into the house. Charlie followed with the luggage and took the bags straight up to the guest suite.

"Come on in." I ushered them into the lounge to sit down while I went and put the coffee pot on. Charlie said goodbye for now. He was going to take the opportunity to run a couple of errands as he was not needed until later.

I could hear mom and dad talking quietly in the lounge. I set the full coffee pot and cups on a tray and took it in to the lounge, setting it down on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Bella. We certainly need one of those." Dad said as mom poured out the coffee for us.

"We'll have this and then I'll show you up to your room. You can freshen up while I make us some lunch." I stated.

"Lovely dear." Mom replied quietly. _I think mom's still a little aghast by everything._

Two cups of coffee later, it was time to take mom and dad on a tour of the house. I showed them my domain, the kitchen and then up the stairs to the first floor. Mom was in awe of how big everything was. I then took them up to the next floor where the guest suites were. I opened the door leading to the bedroom they would be using for the weekend.

"This is absolutely wonderful, Bella? I'm sure that our whole house could fit into the ground floor alone. This is a lovely home." Mom looked around the room appreciatively.

"Yes it is, isn't it? I'm just glad that I don't have to worry about anything other than the cooking. Jess, the cleaner, certainly has her work cut out when she's here."

"Well, I will make sure that we don't make any mess than is necessary. I'd hate for her to think that we didn't care." Mom added.

"Mom, don't worry. Just relax and enjoy the weekend. No-one is going to think any less of you if you don't strip the bed at the end of your visit." I chuckled.

"The bathroom is through that door." I gestured to the first door on the left. "There are towels, sheets, blankets and spare pillows through the other door. Right, I'll be downstairs making lunch so I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Thanks, Bella. We'll be down soon." Dad answered, as he gave mom a hug.

I left mom and dad to unpack and returned to the kitchen to get together some food.

I prepared a mixed green salad, sliced tomatoes, cucumber and sliced ham. As I filled the plates I added some Waldorf salad to each plate and a slice of freshly baked bread. I laid the dinning room table ready for lunch and set out the plates and put a fresh pot of coffee on. Mom and dad returned downstairs and sat at the table. We ate lunch and mom helped me to clear the table. Dad went into the lounge to watch the TV and mom and I sat in the kitchen to chat. I showed her the portfolio of the weeding cakes.

"I'm really proud of you Bella. These are absolutely lovely. With cakes like these you're going to be in demand for years to come." She said as she turned the pages to look at the pictures again.

"Oh, don't worry. Alice has already ordered the birthday cakes for the next twenty one years for the twins." I added.

"Wow, the family are really serious about you aren't they. When do you think you'll get married?" Mom asked with a grin on her face.

"Mom! We haven't got engaged yet! You're thinking too far ahead." I retorted.

"We shall see, Bella. When I meet Edward later I'll be able to tell how much in love with you he is. If my feelings are right, you'll be walking up the aisle sooner than you think." She said assuredly.

"Oh, I suppose you got all this from your special power of seeing into the future." I chided.

"No, Bella. It's called mother's intuition." She retorted with a huff.

We joined dad in the lounge and watched a little TV and chatted when dad had decided that he'd caught up with the sports news.

Just after four o'clock Esme and Carlisle came home from work. They made their way into the lounge and I introduced everyone. Pleasantries were exchanged and Esme and Carlisle went upstairs to get changed for the evening.

"I've already booked a table for tonight, Bella." Esme informed me when she came back downstairs. "Charlie will be here about six. Everyone should be ready by that time. Edward hasn't rung to say that he'll be late, has he?"

"No, Esme he hasn't." I replied.

Next to arrive home were Alice and Jasper. Alice was so pleased to meet my parents and dad was certainly entranced by her energy. Mom was amazed that Alice would be going to New York for a fashion show with her designs. Alice promptly got out her file of designs and they both sat at the table going over the intricate details of each one. Mom was in her element discussing all things creative.

Rose and Emmett arrived home. The moment I introduced them to my parents, dad was in deep conversation with Emmett about none other the than sports in general. He also talked to Rose about cars. So far they were having a great time getting to know the family. Esme smiled at me encouragingly as I watched my parents chatting with the family.

I decided to quickly get changed before Edward was due home. With just three quarters of an hour left before we were due to go to the restaurant, Edward arrived home, looking rather tired. I walked up to him and kissed him.

"Are you sure your okay to go out?" I whispered as we hugged.

"Of course, my love. I'll be fine once I sit down and eat." He reassured me.

"Come and meet my parents then." I held his hand and led him through to the lounge where everyone had gathered.

"Mom, dad this is Edward."

They both stood to greet him. Dad grabbed his had and shook it enthusiastically.

"I'm so pleased to meet you Edward. Please call me Phil."

"Thank you, Phil. It's good to meet you too." Edward replied giving one of his best smiles.

"Well, I can certainly see why Bella fell for you Edward! It's good to meet you. Please call me Renee."

I blushed at her words. My mother; outspoken as usual.

"Thank you, Renee. The truth is I fell for Bella first. You have a very beautiful daughter. I consider myself extremely lucky to have met her." Edward answered sincerely.

"We're all lucky that she came into our lives." Carlisle added. "I don't think anyone could look after this family as well as Bella does. We're so glad to have her as part of our family." He smiled.

Edward went upstairs to freshen up and get changed for the evening. Charlie arrived ten minutes later and we were all ready to go. We made our way to the limo and settled for the short journey to Esme's favourite restaurant.

As we walked into the restaurant there were many familiar faces. We smiled and greeted people as we made our way to the area that had been set out for us.

Mom was almost beside herself with excitement that so many people paid attention to us as we walked through the restaurant.

"It's like another world, Bella. You have taken to this so well. You used to get so embarrassed if anyone paid you any attention. Now you just take it all in your stride." She mused.

"I have to mom. It's all part of my job now, being able to talk to anyone and everyone. Being part of the Cullen family I have no choice and that's just fine with me." I assured her.

We sat and enjoyed a wonderful meal. Esme had intended the evening to be a celebration that the families were finally able to meet. It was another significant step, showing how committed Edward and I were to each other.

Edward certainly did look much better once he relaxed and had something to eat. Mom was absolutely taken with him. _And why not; he is wonderful!_

Conversation flowed easily between all of us. The evening was a great success. We rounded off the evening with coffee and brandy's for the men. I got the feeling that given half the chance and if dad did smoke, he would have produced a big fat cigar to celebrate. The smile on his face hadn't diminished all evening. I wondered what earth I had been so nervous about just a few hours ago.

When we arrived back home, I asked Charlie to call for us at eleven in the morning to give us time to get ready for the day.

Everyone was tired, especially Edward. He had to be up in the morning before anyone else but he was hoping to be able to get away by three so that he could spend some more time with my parents.

After making sure that mom and dad had everything they needed I joined Edward in bed. He was already asleep. I snuggled up to him and he instinctively wrapped his arm around me and held me close. I soon drifted off the sleep.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Thank you for reading. Remember whether you liked it or not, I would love to read what you think in a review. I will update as soon as possible. Take care.


	46. Chapter 46

**Author's note; **Many thanks for all the lovely reviews on the previous chapter. I hope that I have replied to all of you. So, on with the visit of Renee and Phil to Seattle, in order to make sure that their little girl is in safe hands! I have been very generous to you. This chapter tells us of the events of Saturday and Sunday. Hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but I thought up this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Saturday

I got up at the same time as Edward this morning. I wanted to have some breakfast with him before he went to work and then make a start on putting together a picnic for later, before making breakfast for everyone. Weather wise, this weekend was going to be great.

"Seeing as your taking your mom and dad for a picnic today, I asked Charlie to book a picnic table for you over at the Don Armeni." Edward quipped as he tucked into his third slice of French toast.

I leaned forward to him, on the barstool and motioned for him to meet me half way. He did. I kissed his mouth and sat back smiling.

"That was very thoughtful of you. I knew I'd forgotten to do something. That's the place down by the Duwamish River, isn't it?" I asked, finishing my herbal tea.

"Yep, you'll have a good view of downtown Seattle from there. I'll call you when I finish work and make my way over to join you. Save me some food won't you?" He begged with sad eyes and promptly grinned.

"That goes without saying, Edward." He nodded and stood to leave for work. "We'll see you later then." He gently cupped my face, kissing my forehead and then my mouth. _Umm. He smells wonderful today._

"Until later, Bella." He smiled and left the house. I shook my head a little to clear it.

I cleared away the empty plates and cups and tied an apron around my waist to make a start on the picnic food.

An hour later, having packed the last box of food in the fridge ready for our outing, I set about making breakfast. Once I'd got everything under the heat lamps, I made up some bread dough to cook, that would be ready to take with us for the picnic.

I set the coffee pot on knowing that the aroma would soon bring people downstairs. _Emmett is sure to be first. _

He was, shortly followed by dad. I finished setting the table ready for breakfast. Emmett and dad settled at the table to talk. Their conversation centred on baseball this morning.

Esme and Carlisle joined us next. They made their food selection closely followed by Dad and Emmett. I couldn't help but smile at the way everyone was getting on so well. They sat at the table, chatting.

"Bella?" Esme began. "Have you made any arrangements for tomorrow yet?"

"Well, I had thought about taking mom and dad to the Space Needle." I answered as I handed Rose a plate for her breakfast. I turned the oven on to warm up to cook the bread dough.

"Good idea, Bella." Carlisle interjected. "We'll get on to that for you, if you don't mind." I shook my head and smiled at him. "We can go tomorrow and have brunch there. We haven't been for a while have we dear?" He finished, turning to Esme for confirmation.

"I think that's a great idea. I think you and Renee will really enjoy it, Phil. The view of Seattle, on a clear day, is amazing." Esme added.

"Thank you very much. We will enjoy that." Dad answered, tucking into his food.

"You'll see it from the other side of the river today, dad. We're going to take our picnic to the other side of the Duwamish River. You'll get a good view of the Space needle from there." I kissed mom good morning as she entered the kitchen. She smiled broadly at me and took a plate for her breakfast.

I placed the proved dough in the oven and helped myself to some breakfast. By this time Alice and Jasper had joined us. As Alice sat down I looked at her plate. There was a mountain of food on it. More than usual.

"Feeling hungry today, Alice?" I asked, eyeing her plate.

"Ravenous." She replied, making all of us chuckle.

"Is everyone coming on the picnic?" Mom asked, looking around the table.

"I'm not sure what everyone is doing today, mom. It would be lovely if any of you are free and would like to join us." There was silence for a moment. The family then began to nod their heads at the idea.

"I think that's a yes from everyone." Carlisle said, noting everyone's reaction.

"We can make a stop at the market and pick up some more supplies, Bella." Esme began. "If we take that route then Phil and Renee will see something of the city. What time is Charlie going to get here?" Esme asked, placing her knife and fork down on the empty plate.

"He's collecting us at eleven." I replied.

"Great, we have plenty of time to get organised." Esme smiled. "I'll book a table for six for brunch tomorrow." She added and left the table to make the arrangements. She had a smile on her face that I could only describe as mischievous. _Something's up!_

I quickly left the table to check on the bread. It was ready. I took it out and left it to one side to cool. Emmett had followed me out to the kitchen, sniffing the air.

"Umm, fresh bread. That smells great Bella. Is that coming with us today?" He asked, moving towards it, to get a better look.

I laughed at him and swatted at him to keep him away from the fresh bread. "You're impossible Emmett! Yes, we will be taking the bread with us for the picnic. As you've finished eating Emmett, would you please find the cool boxes and a couple of blankets we can use?" He nodded, smiling and turned without hesitation, heading for the cellar.

I cleared away the empty plates from the table and began stacking the dishwasher.

Mom followed me out with some empty cups.

"Carlisle's right you know." Mom looked at me lovingly. "You really do look after this family well. I know I've said it before but I'm very proud of you and everything that you do. It seems that you found the kind of job that you studied for at College.

Everything you learnt you're now putting to good use. You're becoming quite the business woman, organising the wedding cakes. It's good to see how confident you are now. I worried so much when you moved up here. You seemed so far away from home. And now look at you. You have a lovely new home with a wonderful family.

Dad and I could not be happier." She pulled me towards her and hugged me as only mom does.

"Thanks mom. You really do approve of Edward, don't you? You seem to get on really well." I pulled away from her slightly to look at her face. Tears were welling in her eyes.

"Absolutely, Bella! We will leave you Monday morning, knowing that you are being looked after." She assured me. "I can see how much you two are in love. I can see that you're going to have a wonderful life together." She said softly, reaching for the corner of my apron and wiping away her tears.

Emmett returned to the kitchen, carrying two cool boxes and a couple of picnic blankets and set them down. "Do you need any help with packing the food, Bella?" He asked hopefully. _He never gives up._

I smiled at him. "No, thank you Emmett. Mom and I have got that covered. Don't worry, I won't forget anything." I reassured him. His face fell in disappointment and he headed for the lounge to join dad.

Mom smiled at me and we began to pack the cool boxes, taking out sufficient ice packs from the freezer.

Esme joined us with a bag of picnic plates, cups and cutlery. She also organised the drinks.

Half an hour later and everything was ready. Charlie was on time and Emmett eagerly helped him to pack the limo. We all made ourselves comfortable for the journey to the market. Once there, we bought some more fruit, more meats from the deli counter and a few more salad items.

We returned to the limo. Carlisle and Esme pointed out places of interest to mom and dad for the rest of the journey. When we reached our destination, everyone helped to get the picnic things out of the limo, making short work of the task. While Alice and I began to set things up, everyone else went for a short walk to show mom and dad the view across the river. Seattle looked amazing in the sunshine, today.

About half an hour later, everyone returned and we settled down to our picnic.

I made sure that I put by sufficient food for when Edward would arrive and Esme insisted that Charlie join us. We relaxed into easy conversation. Esme told us how well the alterations at the Forks house, were progressing and Rose shared with us that the repair shop in Forks, was a success. The smile and wink she gave me were not lost on me as she spoke. I was relieved that all was well with Jacob.

After we finished eating and had tidied everything away, amazingly Emmett found a football tucked away in the limo. We all knew that he was the culprit. The innocent face he tried to convey didn't work. He immediately organised an impromptu game. I watched with Esme, Alice and mom, laughing at the antics of Emmett and Jasper.

When Edward arrived I greeted him with a kiss and he hugged me close. He nodded in the direction of the gathering. "It looks like the picnic is a huge success, Bella. Well done." I motioned for him to go and sit down and went to the limo to retrieve the bag of food that I had set aside for him.

His eyes lit up as I arranged the food in front of him. As he ate he shared with us some of the things that he'd been doing at the hospital. He was still very enthusiastic about the job but fortunately spared us the finer details of the operations he assisted with.

There was still time for Edward to join in with the haphazard games that were being played, by the time he had finished eating.

By half past four we decided to return to the house. I was over-ruled when it came to discussing the evening meal. Carlisle promptly picked up the phone and ordered Chinese take-out. I organised the dinning table with trivets and hot plates and put the various dishes into bowls so that we could help ourselves. It was a Chinese feast, which we all enjoyed very much.

None of us went to bed late that night. The combination of good food and fresh air ensured that we slept well.

Sunday

I woke up early enough to set up two trays of breakfast for Rose and Emmett, Alice and Jasper. They were not joining the rest of us for brunch. That had been made clear.

I made a batch of pancakes and French toast with a bowl each of freshly prepared fruit and two small jugs of fresh orange.

I took the first tray up to Alice and Jasper's room. I knocked on the door lightly. Jasper answered. His face was still heavy with sleep. He smiled as I handed him the tray.

"We'll be going out soon. I wanted to make sure that you had some breakfast before I left."

"Thanks for that, Bella. That's really kind. We'll see you later then. Have a great time." He stifled a yawn and padded back to the bed as I shut the bedroom door.

I went back downstairs to fetch the next tray to take up to Rose and Emmett's room.

I knocked on their door and to my surprise, Rose opened it.

"I'm going out soon, so I wanted to make sure that you had some breakfast."

"Thank you, Bella. You really didn't have to but you know how much it will be appreciated." She said nodding over to Emmett's sleeping form in the bed.

I smiled at her. "I'll see you later Rose."

When I got back down stairs everyone else was already up, dressed and ready to go.

"Give me ten minutes to get changed." I assured them and carefully made my way back to my room to change. I put on my blue, ditsy print dress that Edward liked so much and put on a pair of heels. I brushed my hair through, leaving it down and quickly put on my lip gloss. I was ready.

Charlie had already arrived to take us to the Space Needle. Edward took my hand and we filed out to the limo. With everyone dressed so smartly it felt like there was a real sense of occasion that we were going to having brunch in a restaurant so high up in the air. It was made all the more special because my parents were with us.

After Charlie pulled up in the parking lot, we made out way up to the Sky City Restaurant.

Carlisle gave his name when we arrived and we were ushered to our table. The view was amazing! Mom was quiet for a few minutes taking in the scenery.

"Well, this is certainly one way of seeing the entire city in one go." She finally said.

Esme pointed out to us the various landmarks so that we could get our bearings as to what we were looking at. Dad pointed out the area in the distance, where we'd had our picnic yesterday.

Our food order was taken. Esme and Carlisle asked some more questions about Phoenix and mom and dad happily answered.

Our starter was served. The men decided to have Seattle Clam and Corn chowder while the ladies agreed on the Caesar Salad. The plates were empty in no time.

Our main course was eggs Benedict for Esme and me, a Wild Gulf Prawn Omelette for dad, the Cedar Wrapped Coho Salmon for Edward and Carlisle and the Hazelnut crusted French Toast for mom. It all looked delicious. _I'm sure I won't be able to eat for the next twenty four hours! _

For dessert it was a no-brainer. Tiramisu! I hadn't realised that we all enjoyed that particular dessert so much.

"This was a really lovely treat, Carlisle." Mom began. "Thank you so much for such a fantastic weekend. You have both made us feel so welcome." She gushed.

"It was nothing, Renee. It's important for you to visit and see how well Bella is doing and of course to meet Edward. It's been our pleasure to have you stay with us." He smiled at both mom and dad warmly.

"Next time you come up, you'll have to stay with us at the Forks house. That will certainly be a very relaxing weekend for you. Very different from sightseeing in the city." Esme added genuinely.

"That would be lovely, Esme. Thank you." Mom answered. They clearly had many things in common and enjoyed each others company.

Edward excused himself from the table for a moment and we continued with our conversation.

A moment later a waiter followed Edward with an ice bucket, a bottle of champagne and glasses. Edward sat back down and reached for my hand.

"What's all this in aid of Edward?" Carlisle asked a little bemused, as the waiter filled the glasses expertly.

"I think that this is a very special occasion. Here we are having a meal hundreds of feet up in the air over-looking Seattle, with people we love and care about." He began, lifting his glass. I looked over to him and smiled, raising my glass with everyone else.

"To all of us." Edward said, boldly.

"Yes." We joined in. "To all of us." And our glasses clinked.

"And." Edward continued. "To Bella. The most beautiful woman to enter my life." He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my palm gently. Looking up at me from under his lashes, he added. "Bella will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

I gasped at his words. From what I could hear, everyone else at the table did too.

I put my glass down before I could drop it and sat there for a moment to absorb what he had just asked me. Edward looked at me anxiously.

"I…I… don't know what to say!" I mumbled, not really able to string a proper sentence together.

Edward looked at me again with his smouldering green eyes. I could feel my cheeks blush furiously. My heart was beating so fast, I was willing it to slow down.

Out of my peripheral vision I could see everyone looking at me. It felt like an hour had passed before I was able to give him the answer. I was sure we were all holding our breath at this point.

"Yes, Edward." I finally said. "I would love to become your wife!" We all breathed out. I'd never seen Edward look so pleased. I wrapped my arms around his neck and without any regard for those in the restaurant kissed him passionately. I could feel his hands resting on my hips making my stomach twitch with desire for him. _You're not at home now Bella. Ease up! _

As I pulled away from him, a broad smile replaced his anxious look from earlier.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black Tiffany box. I gasped and covered my face with my hands, in disbelief. _He's already got the ring!_

"Bella, I took the liberty of buying a ring. The minute I saw it, I knew it was the right one for you. Here." He reached for my left hand, taking it away from my face and I dropped my other hand in my lap. He opened the box and there nestled in the dark blue velvet cushioning, was a beautiful white gold ring, set with a large, princess cut diamond, flanked by two smaller, princess cut, dark sapphires. It was beautiful.

He took the ring out of its casing and placed it on my third finger. I gasped again at how beautiful it looked and it fitted perfectly. I couldn't help but think that either Rose or Alice had helped Edward with this.

Carlisle caught the waiter's attention and ordered another bottle of champagne.

"Congratulations the two of you. Esme and I could not be more pleased." Carlisle said, his tone full of emotion.

"Mom, dad, look how beautiful the ring is?" I proffered my hand to them. They looked in awe at it. Mom's eyes were filling with tears. Dad sat smiling and reached out to shake Edward by the hand.

"Thank you Phil for your blessing." Edward said. They both smiled at each other.

"You mean you knew about this dad!" I said accusingly.

"Well, Edward managed to take me to one side at the picnic yesterday. He thought that as we were up here he would seize the opportunity to ask my permission. But all of this is down to Edward!" He explained.

"Mom, what do you think?" As yet she still hadn't said a word.

She groped around in her purse and found a tissue. Dabbing at her eyes she finally spoke. "I think it is simply wonderful Bella. And to actually be here and see him propose! It was lovely Edward, for you to share that with us. We couldn't be more pleased for you both." Her tears could not be contained. My eyes began to well up in sympathy.

"Oh, my goodness!" Esme said quietly. "It looks like we have another wedding to plan after August. I can hardly wait!"

She turned to mom, smiling. "Renee, we are going to have to keep in regular contact once a date is fixed. I'll give you my e-mail address once we get back to the house. I can't wait to see the faces of the rest of the family when you tell them the news, Bella."

I smiled at her warmly and drained my glass ready for a refill.

"If it's alright with you, Bella, I'll get an announcement put in the papers for this week. We'll have to take a picture of the two of you, in the garden I think and I'll get that organised." Esme's mind was in over-drive as to all the things that needed to be done immediately. I simply nodded to her.

"Esme, would you please give me a copy of the picture?" Mom asked. "I think putting an announcement in the paper would be a good idea for us to do when we get back to Phoenix. The neighbourhood will be buzzing for months!" Mom gushed, smiling broadly.

I spent the rest of our time in the restaurant hardly able to take my eyes off Edward and the beautiful ring on my finger. As our parents chatted animatedly about ideas for the wedding, their voices faded into the background as Edward and I kissed between sips of champagne.

We rounded the meal off with coffee all round, which helped to counteract the effects of the champagne a little.

We arrived back home to find Emmett, Jasper and Rose playing on the Xbox and Alice busy sketching designs at the dinning table.

Alice looked up from her work. "Thank goodness you're back! They have been driving me mad with that game. I think Bella should play and then maybe we would get a final result and end it." She sounded exasperated.

Carlisle stood by the staircase. "Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice. Would you come over here please?" He spoke with fatherly authority. They immediately responded and went to stand in front of him.

He motioned for Edward and me to stand next to him. He put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze as I held Edward's hand.

"Today, Edward asked Bella to become his wife!" He announced proudly.

"Oh, I just knew he was going to do that!" Alice squealed with delight.

"And Bella said yes!" Carlisle finished in a flourish.

Rose grabbed my hand, pulling me into a Rose and Alice sandwich hug. Emmett and Jasper stepped over to Edward and shook his hand, patting him on the back.

Words of congratulations rang in my ears for a time. I was still a little shell shocked.

Everyone was so excited. Esme immediately rang her favourite restaurant and booked a table for six o'clock. She was not prepared to let the good news stay confined to our four walls.

"Come on you two, we need a photo for the announcement. Let's go into the garden." Esme ordered, camera in hand. Edward grabbed my hand and we all filed out to the garden. Rose quickly appeared with a brush to go through my hair and my lip gloss. _She must have flown up those stairs_!

We sat on the bench for pictures and then Esme took a few of us standing. We then went inside so that they could decide which pictures would be used for the announcements in the Seattle and Phoenix papers. I left the decision to Esme and mom. I was far too excited to think straight. For a time everything seemed to be just a blur.

I went into the kitchen just for a moment, as it was the quietest place in the house at that precise moment in time. I found myself automatically putting on a pot of coffee. _Old habits die hard!_

Alice came into the kitchen looking for me. I was sitting on a barstool, staring at the ring.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Alice asked softly, stroking my arm.

I looked up at Alice and smiled. "I'm fine, Alice. I'm still a little bit in shock, I suppose. Edward giving me the Promise ring was surprise enough, but now this. I feel like I'm the luckiest woman on the planet right now."

"I know what you mean, Bella. I think it's lovely that he asked you while your mom and dad were still here. You know, it was very brave of him to ask in front of them like that. You could have turned him down, you know?" She said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, He knows exactly how I feel about him, Alice. He knew I would say yes. Wow! I'm going to be the next Mrs Cullen!" I wrapped my arms around Alice's shoulders and hugged her gently.

"And you are going to be an amazing Mrs Cullen. Just like Esme and Rose. You are going to be a wonderful wife for Edward. You've already, made him so happy. You fit into this family perfectly. I was so afraid that you would leave us when Rose was so rude towards you at first but when I asked you to stay, you did. I just knew you would be the one for Edward." She gushed.

"Yes, you did, didn't you? Thanks Alice for everything." I hugged her again.

"Oh, you'll be saying a lot more thank you's by the time the wedding happens. I've already got a couple of designs hidden away with ideas for your wedding dress." She smiled. _Why am I not surprised!_

"You have?! You'll have to show them to me next week. For now, I still need to concentrate on Rose and Emmett's wedding and getting the cake done for them and the other cakes that are being ordered for the next few months." My head was spinning.

"You do realise that you and Edward are going to have to sit down soon and decide when the date will be. A Cullen wedding can't be rushed. Rose and Emmett have been planning theirs for the last year!"

"Maybe we should elope." I thought out loud.

"Oh no you don't! Edward would never be forgiven!" Alice retorted.

"No, Alice . I wouldn't dream of it. By the time the day comes, I'm sure I will enjoy being the centre of attention." I reassured her.

"Oh, you will. Don't worry. We'll have to get your wardrobe organised. I feel a shopping trip coming on, Bella! We've got to get ready to go soon." She said, checking the kitchen clock. "Hurry up and finish your coffee." _When Alice speaks, I move!_

A little while later we all arrived at the restaurant. I suddenly felt quite nervous and held on to Edward's hand as we walked through the restaurant to our table. The table had been arranged with beautiful flowers and two bottles of champagne. _I think I'm going to have a headache in the morning._

Everyone in the restaurant turned to watch us walk to our table. Our parents were beaming. We sat down and placed our food order. I ordered the smallest item that was on the menu. I really couldn't face a large meal.

The champagne was shared and we all raised our glasses.

"To Bella and Edward!" He announced. The entire restaurant fell silent. "We all wish them the very best on their engagement." As he finished talking everyone in the restaurant began to applaud politely and called out their best wishes. Edward and I held up our champagne glasses to them in acknowledgement.

We eventually got home. Exhausted.

After wishing each other a goodnight, we all went to our rooms. I flopped onto the bed, feeling unable to move. I shut my eyes for a moment and took a couple of deep breaths. Edward took off my high heels for me and began to massage my feet. _He is so good at looking after me. _

I felt the bed shift as he crawled up the bed to hover over me.

"I love you, Bella." He breathed.

I opened my eyes to take in the face of my husband-to-be. I almost melted then and there. His eyes were the darkest emerald I had ever seen.

"I love you too, Edward." I cupped his face in my hands and pulled him down towards me. Our kiss was sweet and tender and expressed everything that we could not put into words.

By the time we had slowly undressed each other, I felt a little less tired. We took our time making love, lavishing kisses, caresses and words of love on each other.

When I finally lay still in his arms, both of us utterly sated, I looked at Edward as he began to drift off to sleep.

I didn't think that I could feel any more complete than I did at that moment.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note:** And everyone says "Ahhhh". I hope. Love it or loathe it you know what you need to do now. Review!!! Take care.


	47. Chapter 47

**Author's note;** Many thanks for the reviews of the previous chapter. Many thanks also to those of you who have recently put this story on their Favourites/Alerts are all very kind and encouraging. So, this chapter is one month after Bella and Edward's engagement. It includes the day before Rose and Emmett's wedding and the wedding itself. I thought I would spoil you! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I thought of this story.

**COOK WANTED**

One month later

Since the day that Edward asked me to marry him, life had never been so hectic. My mom and dad returned to Phoenix with one of the pictures taken of Edward and me in the garden and as promised, placed an announcement in the Arizona Republic. Their phone didn't stop ringing for a couple of weeks. Everyone that I had ever known in Phoenix, were suddenly very interested in me again. Mom took all the interest with plenty of caution and grace.

After the announcement appeared in the Seattle Times, orders for wedding cakes seemed to flood in. Alice had warned me that this would happen. She said that I needed to be selective about taking orders, so that I would not become over worked. We talked about taking on another person to help with decorating the cakes. Either that or I should seriously think about giving up the job of being the family cook. Both suggestions needed some serious thought. I enjoyed cooking for the family. It was another outlet for my creativity and I found it very relaxing. It was the reason for me to go to college in the first place, to hone my skills in the kitchen. I hadn't thought that I would ever use one of my other abilities to make a living.

Of course Edward took the easy option when I needed a sounding board, trying to make up my mind. He said that he would stand by me with whatever decision I made. So for now I decided to continue cooking for the family and be very selective with making cakes to order.

My main focus these last few weeks had been to complete Rose and Emmett's wedding cake. I had put the finishing touches to it on Tuesday but decided to check on it today, the day before the wedding, to make sure that there were no last minute problems with it. Some of the flowers were so small that they had been rather difficult to make them set on the cake. I was due at the bakery as soon as possible.

I finished loading the dishwasher and wiped down the counter tops, when Charlie arrived at the house.

"Are you ready, Bella?" He asked, placing his hat under his arm.

"Yes, just let me get my purse and we can go." I retrieved it from the dinning room table and followed Charlie out to the car.

We drove in silence. I was rather nervous that the cake should be nothing short of perfect for the big day. Rose had complete confidence in me. She had seen the cake a couple of weeks ago while it was still under construction, just to give her seal of approval that the design looked exactly how she had envisaged it. The look on her face and the fact that she couldn't say anything for five minutes, that was confirmation enough. She loved it. Since then I had spent almost every spare moment I had to get the cake finished.

When we arrived at the bakery, Mike was walking into the building. He turned when he heard the car pull up and stopped at the door to wait for me.

"Hi, Bella!" He called to me, as I got out of the car. "It's the big day tomorrow. The unveiling!" He added. _State the obvious, Mike._

"Yep. I thought I would just make sure that nothing had fallen off overnight. The last thing I need tomorrow morning, when it's being collected, is half of it falling off." I stated.

"Bella, I think you're worrying too much. When have any of the cakes you've created, fallen apart?" He looked at me intently, stopping me in my tracks.

I took a deep breath and forced a smile. "I know. But this cake is more important than the others. It _has_ to be perfect." I emphasized.

"And so it is, Bella" He reached out to me placing his hand on my shoulder. "Believe me I haven't seen anything like it before. Now come on we need to take a picture of it." He said, following me into my work room.

"No, Mike. I don't want a picture of this one. I'm not going to be making anything like this again. I promised Rose that no one would ever have a cake like it. Besides there'll be plenty of pictures of it when the Wedding Album is put together." I said boldly.

"You mean you're prepared to turn people down if they ask you to make a cake just like it?" He retorted.

"Absolutely, Mike. My mind is made up." I replied resolute.

"D'you know Bella, I don't think I've met anyone so determined as you? I think that's one of the many things about you that people find so attractive." He said winking at me.

"Well, be thankful you haven't seen me in a crisis. It's not a pretty sight!" I smiled back at him. It was a good feeling that finally Mike and I had found a comfortable place in our relationship that we could talk so easily. The fact that Mike was now fully focused on Sarah and their blossoming relationship, helped to dispel any tension between Mike and myself.

"I'm beginning to actually feel sorry for Edward!" He laughed, turning and making his way to his office. I was sure that if there was something I could throw at him, to hand, I would have done. I shook my head at him.

I stood in front of the cake, standing on the work table and walked around it, checking every inch of this latest creation. Everything seemed to be intact, thankfully. The stark white icing was the perfect background for the waterfall creation of wild flowers in all the colours of the rainbow. Rose had decided that the colour scheme of the cake would be the deciding factor on the colours for the bridesmaid dresses and the table decorations for the reception.

I left the bakery a lot happier than I had arrived. As I got back into the car I smiled at Charlie. He nodded to me and smiled back.

"I take it by the look on your face, everything is okay with the cake?"

"Yes, Charlie. Thank goodness! Now all I have to do is get to the boutique and collect my dress. We have to be at the restaurant for twelve to have lunch." I said, anxiously.

"Don't worry, Bella. There's plenty of time to get to where ever you need to be." Charlie reassured me.

We made good time getting to the boutique. Alice was ready with the dress in the changing room. Once I put it on she made me do a couple of twirls and double checked the length after I put on a pair of heels that were the same height as the ones I'd be wearing for the Wedding.

"It looks amazing, Bella! You look amazing! I'm so happy that Rose asked you to be a bridesmaid. I much prefer even numbers in photographs." She said, looking at my reflection in the full length mirror. "Bella! For goodness sake, smile! You're going to a wedding tomorrow, not a funeral." I stuck my tongue out to her and we both laughed.

"I'm sorry Alice. I haven't had much time to adjust to the idea of being in the wedding party. But I must admit the dress is amazing. I'll have to thank Rose again for letting me chose the colour. I'm thankful that she didn't decide that we should all wear yellow." I would have looked like a canary!

"Yellow definitely doesn't suit you Bella. Azure blue is a lovely contrast to your hair. You haven't forgotten that the beautician is going to be at the house for eight in the morning?" She smiled, all knowing.

"No Alice, I haven't forgotten. I take it that Jasper doesn't mind doing the breakfast run?" I asked as I took the dress off.

"That's all organised. None of us want you to lift a finger in the morning apart from making sure that the cake is collected on time and is delivered safely." She replied.

"Yep, I'm going to be going with the cake to make sure that any mishaps that may happen in transport can be fixed when we arrive at the club. You do trust me to do my makeup and get myself ready for when you arrive at one?" I gave her a cheeky smile. She stuck her tongue out at me this time. I got back into my jeans and t-shirt.

"Well, I think the amount of times we've gone over the look that Rose is looking for you'll be able to do your makeup in your sleep. Just don't forget anything, will you?" She chided.

"No, I won't. I've already packed most of the things I need so it's just the odd things I need to throw into the bag in the morning and of course the dress. Thank you Alice for running through everything for me. I'm just glad that you'll be around for my wedding." I gave her a small hug.

"Have you decided on a date yet?" She had only been asking me for the last two weeks.

"To be honest, Alice, since the engagement, Edward and I have hardly had any time to sit and discuss it. I was thinking of having a summer wedding as well. At least the weather might be a little more reliable than in the spring or autumn." I said, slipping on my flats.

"I don't know, Bella. I think a winter wedding can be very romantic as long as there is snow on the ground." She said, dreamily, putting the dress inside a dress bag for the journey home.

"Alice, I don't really want to wear thermals under the wedding dress. I don't think the look would be very flattering would you?" I retorted.

"I suppose not! You wouldn't be able to wear the lingerie I have in mind for you either." She replied. I looked at her shocked. She began to giggle which in turn made me giggle. Poor Alice had to sit down for a moment to regain her composure.

As we said goodbye at the boutique door, I hugged Alice gratefully. "I'll see you at home about four o'clock, okay Bella?" We waved to each other as I got back in the car and headed home.

By four o'clock, everyone except Edward, arrived home. Rose had been to a spa during the day, where Alice met up with her to have a facial treatment, a manicure and pedicure. They looked really relaxed as they walked through the door chatting animatedly.

"Bella." Rose began as she walked over to me to give me a hug. "Alice tells me that you look gorgeous in the dress. I trust that you're happy with it?"

"Absolutely, Rose. It's lovely. I was so pleased when I saw the choice of colours that you'd picked out and a design that didn't make the bridesmaids look more like a wedding cake than the cake itself." I chuckled.

"I wouldn't dream of doing that to any of you. I want to be able to look at the photos in twenty years time and not regret any decisions that I made for this wedding." _Just like Rose to think that far ahead._

"I'll bear that in mind when it's my turn." I said, putting on a pot of coffee for everyone.

Edward arrived home at about five, which left him just enough time to get cleaned up and ready to go out. Esme had organised that we go to her favourite restaurant so that we could relax and spend some time with Rose and Emmett before they disappeared on their honeymoon straight after the reception. They were going to be spending two weeks on the island of Anguilla at the Cap Juluca resort. It looked like a little slice of heaven when Edward and I checked it out on the internet.

We had a lovely time out as a family and arrived home with Emmett protesting that he didn't see why he had to spend a night in the guest suite as they had already been living as man and wife for nearly two years.

He was met with a very determined Rose. With her hand on her hip and a finger pointed at his chest, she stood in front of him, full of authority.

"You _are_ going to be spending just _one_ night in a separate bed, Em!" Her face softened as she continued. "After we're married you'll be spending every night with me for the rest of your life." She smiled, fluttering her eyelashes at him..

"Wow, Rose the rest of my life! When you put it like that it sounds more like a prison sentence." His eyes were wide but he looked as though his thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

"If I were you, Emmett, I'd shut my mouth and go to bed before Rose changes her mind about marrying you!" Edward interceded. "Either that or you'll be sleeping on your own for the next few years."

Emmett nodded, looking down at Rose, who was staring at him with menacing eyes. He leaned down very quickly to her and kissed her mouth before she could do or say anything. He then quickly ran up the stairs to the guest suite, calling out to everyone on the way.

"Goodnight everyone. See you at the wedding!" He said. The next thing we heard was the bedroom door shutting with a thud.

All of us stood there and began to laugh, even Rose. There was no doubt that at some point Rose would make him suffer.

Saturday

I woke up early, feeling a little panicked. _And I'm not the one getting married today!_

I decided to get up and make myself an herbal tea just to help me start the day off calmly. I had so many things running through my head. I waited in the kitchen for half an hour before making a tea for Edward and taking it up to him. I kissed his forehead softly.

"I've made you a tea. I'm going to have my shower now. I'm the first one having my hair done so I want to be ready before everything swings into action." I said in almost a whisper.

Edward opened one eye and gave a little grin. "You are _so_ going to enjoy this aren't you." He said sarcastically and grinning at me.

"Oh yeah!" I replied. "It's a laugh a minute." I huffed and headed to the bathroom and began to get ready for the day.

By the time I was dry and started to get dressed, Edward made his way to the bathroom. I dried my hair, straightening it as much as I could, hoping that by doing so, I would save time later. Once dressed, I made my way downstairs and put on a pot of coffee and waited for everyone to get up. Jasper was the first person down.

He held up a piece of paper and waved it in the air. "I've got the shopping list. Alice said that I have to get out there as soon as possible. But I'm going to have a cup of coffee first. Thanks for this Bella." He said, smiling and reached for the coffee pot.

Everyone else, except for Rose and Emmett, made their way downstairs. I made it my duty to take up a cup of coffee to the two of them. I took Emmett's cup to him first. He was only half awake when I knocked and I carefully put the cup on the nightstand, opening the curtains, to help him wake up. He mumbled something incoherent about shutting the curtains but I wasn't going to take any instructions from him today.

I then took Rose's cup to her. She was already sitting up in bed with a big smile plastered on her face.

"Hi Bella! Thanks for this. I see you're ready and eager to get the day started." She smiled.

"Well, I thought that as I'm getting my hair done first, so that I can oversee the transportation of the cake, I'd better be up and ready. Jasper's gone to get breakfast so I'll bring that up to you as soon as I've got it organised, okay?" I looked at her as she nodded and smiled, amazed at how relaxed she was right now.

I left Rose in peace and made my way back downstairs and found Jasper unpacking two large bags of food. He had bought enough food to feed an army, half of which I was sure, had not been on the list. It was probably a good idea that he did buy extra. Emmett was going to have to stay in the guest room for a couple of hours, before the men would be ready to take him over to the Bear Creek Country Club, where the ceremony and reception were being held.

I quickly organised plates and bowls for the food and set up two trays for Rose and Emmett. Everyone else sat at the dinning room table, chatting and eating the food that Jasper set out for them. Edward quickly put a few things on the plate next to him, reserving it for me. I smiled at his thoughtfulness.

Jasper volunteered to take Emmett's tray up to him and I took up Rose's tray.

By this time, Rose had showered and was drying her hair. I set the tray down on the bed.

"Thanks Bella. How's Em?" She asked wistfully.

"He seemed fine when I took coffee up to him earlier. Jasper's taking his breakfast up now." I smiled.

"Good. I doubt if anything could come between his stomach and food. If his nerves do get the better of him, it'll be when he says 'I do'. She smiled and moved over to sit on the bed to eat some breakfast.

I stopped at the door with my hand on the handle. "Before I go, Rose I just wanted to thank you for asking me to be a bridesmaid and for the lovely dress."

"No need, Bella. All of you are going to look lovely this afternoon. Make sure that you show me what your hair looks like before you go and organise the cake, won't you?" She pleaded. _There's no way I can refuse her today._

"Will do, Rose. See you a little later." I replied and left her to eat.

As I walked down the hallway, Alice called out to me, from her room. "You'd better get in here, Bella. The hairdresser is waiting for you. Oh, I've got your breakfast in here, so you can eat while you're being pampered." _Great! That'll be fun._

I sat obediently and let my hair be crimped and shaped into the style that was required for the event. In less than an hour I was done. My hair had been put up into neat chignon with ringlets framing my face. Alice smiled her approval and I went into Rose's room to show her the end result.

"Excellent, Bella! You look lovely with your hair up. So, the next time I see you will be at the Club. See you later." She chirped. _She was just too calm!_

When I went downstairs to wait for Charlie to take me to the bakery, all the men were ready too. I was going to be dropped off at the bakery first and then Charlie would take the men over to the Club so that they would have time to change into their suits and help with any last minute preparations.

Edward helped me into the limo. I hung up my dress from one of the hooks above a door and placed the bag with my shoes, makeup and purse on the floor, next to Edward. I knew that he was less likely to forget to take them into the Club for me. The men were very relaxed and Emmett was surprisingly still calm. He shared a couple of jokes with Jasper on the way.

When we arrived at the bakery, Edward kissed me tenderly before I got out of the car. Not long after Charlie drove away, the van arrived with two caterers to collect the cake. I ushered them into the building and into my work room. Silently we worked to secure wrapping around the cake and they began the task of getting it into the van. In total it took about twenty minutes to get the cake into the van safely.

With the task done, I jumped into the front of the van and we made our way gently to the venue. We passed the time chatting about the various functions that we had been individually involved in over the years that we had worked in catering.

A while later we arrived. Thankfully the cake was still in one piece and we were directed to the function room where the cake table had been set up to one side of the top table.

Edward was in the lobby talking to the Club Manager, when we entered the building. He helped to hold the doors open so that the cake could be carried to the designated table, for it to be displayed. I took away the wrappings, almost holding my breath. I let out a small sigh when I stood back to look at it.

"It looks amazing, Bella." Edward whispered into my ear, from behind me. He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me close to his body. I leant my head back on his chest and shut my eyes for a brief moment. This part of the day was now done. I could now, to a certain extent, relax.

Edward kissed my neck gently. I turned in his arms and took in how handsome he looked. "You know, the cake doesn't look as amazing as you do. God, you scrub up good." I reached up to him, cupping his face in my hands. It felt too long since we had had a moment like this. I kissed his mouth, "I love you, Edward. As much as I don't want to, I had better go and get changed. Everyone will be here soon." I whispered.

Edward shut his eyes and let out a small groan of frustration. "I'll see you soon and make sure you save the first dance for me." He winked and reached for my left hand, kissing my Engagement and Promise rings. We both seemed to sigh at the same time as I left him and made my way to the rooms where the Wedding Party would be getting ready.

I was on my own for a time and my dress and bag were already in the room. I got together the makeup that I would be using and sat in front of a large makeup mirror.

I had almost finished doing my face, when all the girls arrived. Rose had asked two old High School friends, her sister-in-law and the wife of one of the mechanics that worked for her. Two members of staff assisted them with the bags of dresses and boxes of shoes. The silence was over. I was just relieved that all I had to do was get into the dress. Rose popped a bottle of champagne and poured out equal measures into the eight glasses. Esme held up her glass towards Rose.

"Everyone, I would just like to propose a toast. To Rose. A very brave and fearless woman who is willing to take on my darling son, Emmett." We all chuckled and smiled at Rose. "May you have a long, happy and loving marriage and remember that you will only get out of it, what you are willing to invest into it." We brought our champagne glasses together in agreement, making a lovely clinking sound and set about getting ourselves ready.

Once I had got myself into my dress, I helped Alice with hers. The style of all the dresses was the same, apart from the colours which were, like the cake, composite of the colours of the rainbow. As big as Alice was getting, her pale green dress with its shoestring straps and Empire line, hung beautifully on her, a testimony to good design.

Esme took charge of making sure that Rose was okay. Esme was wearing a lovely, soft gold dress with cap sleeves and a beautiful, colour matched silk hat and shoes.

When Rose was finally ready we all stood in awe of how beautiful she looked. Her hair had been styled the same as the bridesmaids. Her dress was a lovely silk, oyster shell pink. It was strapless with a tight fitting bodice, encrusted with hand sown freshwater pearls. The skirt flowed softly to the floor, with just a couple of layers of tulle underneath, so that it moved easily. Her shoes matched the dress in material and colour and they had also been encrusted with freshwater pearls. Esme set the veil carefully into her hair.

The room fell silent for a moment as we took in the sight of her. She was so calm and serene.

Esme passed out the bridesmaids posies of delicate white roses and finally gave Rose her bouquet. It consisted of delicately scented white and blush pink roses, matching the shape of ours but twice the size. We were ready.

Esme went outside to check that the men were outside and ready, while the photographer took pictures of Rose and the bridesmaids in the room and then a few minutes later in the lobby.

Esme came back beaming. Everything was ready and we took our places. Rose's brother, Tom stood by her side, ready to escort her. Apparently the two of them had become very close since the death of their parents. He smiled at her as he took her arm and gave her a small nod, making sure that she was ready. She smiled and nodded back to him. The music of the Wedding March began, played by a string quartet in the garden. Esme carefully placed the veil over Rose's face.

We began to move out. All one hundred seats were filled. A small stage had been set up just in front of the lake with a large arch covered with white and pink roses and swags of white satin. In the background the fountain in the middle of the lake sprang into life. Emmett stood at the foot of the steps of the stage, waiting. I noticed all the other groomsmen lined up to the left of Emmett, but kept my eyes on him. I had been told once that the look on the grooms face as he watched his bride-to-be walk up to him, was the most telling time of how much he loved her. Observing Emmett's face at that moment brought a lump to my throat. His face was filled with love and adoration for Rose. A small, nervous smile played on his lips, breaking into the largest smile I had ever seen on his face, when Rose finally stood facing him.

Neither of them showed any hint of nerves when they took turns to say 'I do'. I looked over to Edward. My stomach did somersaults taking in how good he looked in his tux, with a white shirt and pale pink silk tie. _We really need to sit down and decide on a date. _

As the ceremony ended, everyone clapped enthusiastically, as the happy couple kissed. The entire time the photographer clicked away merrily. I had no doubt that every picture would be perfect.

The reception was lovely. The food was good and the toasts were painless and not too long. Finally it was time to cut the cake. It seemed such a shame but nonetheless necessary. The photographer had taken quite a few pictures of it before it was cut and of course, during the cutting process. Finally it was time to relax and dance. As Emmett led Rose out to the dance floor the music of Perfect Day began. It was a good choice considering how perfect the day had turned out. Edward stood from the table and took my hand, not allowing me time to protest. He led me to the dance floor and holding me tight, we began to move around the floor. I shut eyes and followed his lead. _As easy as icing a cake! _During my time on the dance floor I also danced with Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett.

Another hundred and fifty people had been invited to the buffet reception, arriving an hour after the dancing had begun. The gift table that had been set out was groaning under the weight of the beautifully wrapped packages.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look, Bella?" Edward smiled kissing my neck, as we danced together again.

"No, but please do, as many times as you like. Oh and by the way, you look really handsome tonight." I replied, kissing his mouth.

Rose and Emmett finally decided to leave the reception at eleven, having booked into a hotel in Seattle for the night, before moving on to their honeymoon destination. When Rose tossed her bouquet in the air, it was caught by Kelly, one of her High School girlfriends.

Charlie was sworn to secrecy, when he took them to the hotel.

Charlie returned to the Club and waited until the reception finished, before taking all of us home. We arrived home, exhausted but happy that all had gone well with the day.

After saying goodnight to everyone, Edward and I went up to our room. After getting undressed we settled into bed together. Edward wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to his chest and I fell asleep listening to the gentle beat of his heart.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **I hope you enjoyed this lengthy chapter. Don't forget to review while I decide on what the next chapter will be about. Take care.


	48. Chapter 48

**Author's note;** Many thanks to all of you, who reviewed the previous chapter. I will reply to all of you soon. Thank you also, to those of you who put this little story on their Favourites/Alerts Lists. Here is another instalment. This time I thought I would treat you to just a Bella and Edward chapter. I think I can hear some of you shouting 'ABOUT TIME!' Here we go, a lovely Lemonytastic chapter for you. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer; **I sadly do not own Twilight but I do own this story.

**COOK WANTED**

One week later

"Bella? We need to talk." I looked over to him. He sounded as though he was about to give me a lecture. The kind of tone a parent would use when their daughter was about to go out on her first date.

I pulled the comforter up and around me, as I wriggled to sit up straight and leaned against the headboard. I nodded, knowing that he would see me in his peripheral vision. He looked straight ahead.

He took in a deep breath. "We need to set a date. Mom has asked me three times since the wedding now. I thought that while we're here in Forks, enjoying the peace and quiet, we could talk about it and finalise the date." He blinked once and turned his head towards me. I smiled at him. I think I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that it? You sounded so serious, for a moment I thought you had changed your mind." I reached out to grab his hand, bringing it up to my mouth and kissed his knuckles.

"Of course I haven't changed my mind, silly girl." He chided.

"You were the one with the serious parental tone." I retorted.

"But this is serious, Bella. There is so much to organise. The list is endless." He sighed and shut his eyes for a moment.

"If it's such a big deal and is going to cause so much stress, why don't we just elope?!" I suggested. The second I had said the word 'elope', I shut my eyes wishing I hadn't.

"Bella! Believe me the thought had crossed my mind. But knowing my family as I do and not wanting to disappoint your mom and dad and deprive them of watching you get married, trust me it's not going to happen." He turned to face me, propping himself up on his elbow. He gently traced circles on my bare shoulder. I shut my eyes for a moment.

"Okay." I began "So, we're not going to elope. Well then, let's get this show on the road and pick a date. Where's your diary?" He promptly rolled over and reached into his nightstand draw, pulling out his trusty, black leather diary.

He handed it to me. Thumbing through it I opened it to today's date. "How long do you think it will take to get organised?"

"Rose and Emmett allowed eighteen months, but I don't really want to wait that long." His expression was pained. I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want the whole ordeal dragged out or if he was just eager for me to become his wife. I liked the idea of the latter.

"Right, a year then." I stated. "There are far too many things happening between now and Christmas. Then the twins are due. There's also the weather to consider. I would rather not get married in the rain. So how about another summer wedding? We could, if you wanted, make it a double celebration with your birthday!" I finished with a flourish, smiling.

"I suppose we could do that. That gives us ten months. We could do it in ten months if we get organised immediately. Some venues get booked up years in advance. We'll have to decide whether we want a church wedding or not and where we would like to have the reception." He said, sounding positive.

"You seem to have it covered, Edward. Shall I just leave this with you? Leave a note for me the week before and I'll just show up. Promise." I remarked, sarcastically.

"Ha ha! Very funny!" He smirked, rolling over to lie on his stomach and drape his arm over my lap. I immediately ran my fingers up and down his arm, gently. He shut his eyes at the sensation and smiled.

"I'd always dreamt of a having a church wedding. I suppose it's every little girls dream. A church, white dress and of course a wonderful man waiting at the altar." I mused.

"Then that's what you shall have, my love. All of it." He opened one eye and snuggled up closer to me, resting his cheek against my hip. He rubbed his chin, covered in one day's growth, against my flesh.

"So, is that it then? Meeting over? Discussion closed?" I quipped, shutting the diary.

"Umm hmm. Bella?" He's tone had become seductive and little too irresistible.

"Yes." I breathed out, relishing how close we were to each other and how warm he was making me feel just with his voice.

"We haven't got any plans for today, have we." It was not a question.

"No, not that I know of." I answered sliding down the bed and rolling over to face him.

"Good." He said, pulling me towards him. In one quick movement I was laying on my back and he was hovering over me. I grinned at him. He grinned back. I suddenly thought how wonderful it was that we had reached the point in our relationship that we didn't actually need to talk. We read each other very well, without words. His words were clearly evident at this precise moment in time.

His eyes, dark emerald, were saying 'I want you now!' His chest was already flushed with anticipation and his very hard length was tapping me on the lower half of my stomach.

"Knock, knock." He said, lowly.

"Who's there?" I whispered.

"I Wilbury." He replied with a straight face.

I furrowed my brow. _Where is this going? _"I Wilbury who?" I was genuinely curious.

"I will bury this inside you, now!" He smirked and nudged my thighs apart.

I shook my head at his appalling joke but didn't have time to protest as he did indeed bury himself into me so quickly that he took my breath away. I shut my eyes and gasped. My first high washed over me almost immediately. He was obviously not in the mood for foreplay this morning.

He began nipping along my neck and down to my shoulder, switching from nipping to sucking and kissing me below my collar bone and down to my chest, continuing with his gentle thrusting. That whole area was now flushed crimson. I could feel the depth of colour by the heat that was building in my chest. He pulled back his head for a moment and smiled.

"Umm, I love the way your body reacts to me, Bella. You are sooo sexy." He purred and resumed his attention back to my chest, slowly moving down towards my tightening breasts and my already erect nipples. His mouth left a heated trail that permeated my skin, the sensation continued to travel along my torso further and further down to my very centre. _How does he do that? I have no clue._ I ran my fingers through his hair, fisting it when his thrusts gathered pace.

I had reached the point of no return once again and he concentrated on finishing what he had started, watching my face as I came down from my next high. He gently withdrew and manoeuvred his way down under the sheets. I shut my eyes in preparation for what was to come. _Me, that's for sure. _

He settled himself, between my legs. I bent my knees for better access. _Oh boy!_ Blowing cold air on me, I shivered and grinned. _What delicious torture he liked to punish me with. _

We both groaned as he began his onslaught with his tongue. He held my hips, stilling me from writhing beneath him. Not able to move those parts of me I moved my arms instead. Out to the side, gripping the comforter. Then above my head, pushing against the headboard, to press myself against his mouth, even more. As if that were possible.

My breath came out in short bursts, my chest heaving to take in more oxygen. I reached a point that I had to hold my breath in order that I didn't hyperventilate. That always made the sensations coursing through me now, seem as though they surrounded me. I grabbed at the pillow either side of my head, holding on for dear life and called out his name.

"Oh God, Edward! Don't stop!" I wanted him to stop, the sensation was so intense, but I didn't want him to stop because I wanted to reach the final exquisite end of it.

And I did.

As he gently crawled up the bed, hovering over me, I slowly regained my normal heartbeat and breathing rhythm. But not for long.

I cupped his face and pulled his mouth onto mine, thrusting my tongue into his mouth mimicking the pace he was setting again, after re-entering me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders tightly. It was his turn now, to enjoy intensity.

I lifted my knees up further and relished the depth he now reached. I felt my muscles clamp down around him, instantaneously. He moaned into my mouth, the vibration of it, reaching to the back of my throat. As his pace increased, I pulled my mouth away from his, so that we could both breathe. I groaned and he panted, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

"Oh, Bella. Not yet. No. Not yet." He moaned into my flesh. He grabbed me by my hips and deftly flipped us over. I pushed myself up, with my arms either side of him, as I straddled him and promptly sat upright.

"Oh shit, Bella! You're too much!" As I rode him, gripping onto his thighs behind me, I dug my nails into his flesh. He groaned again, tensing his thigh muscles.

"That makes… two… of us then." I gasped, as a new high coursed through me.

He reached out and gripped my hips firmly, only allowing me the merest amount of movement. He held fast but I was having none of it. I pushed myself backwards and forwards against his grip, until he realised he had lost control of me. He let go. It felt like he had left bruises where his fingers had been.

"I want to feel you come, Edward. Now!" I demanded. He needed no more encouragement than that.

He did.

Hard.

We both shuddered at the same time and I fell forward onto his torso, resting my head on his damp chest.

He stroked my hair, moving it out of my face, as we regained some sort of composure.

"God, Bella. I love it when you take charge." He breathed over the top of my head.

I reached behind me and pulled the comforter over my body, as I began to cool down.

"Would you like something to drink, love?" He asked, huskily.

"Umm hmm." I answered, almost falling asleep. Without another word he carefully placed me next to him. Moments later I heard the door open and close. I drifted off to sleep, burying my face in his pillow, inhaling deeply.

When I woke up sometime later, I opened one eye and scanned his side of the bed. It was empty. As I hauled myself to sit upright I noticed a note written in his handwriting, perched on his nightstand.

_My love,_

_If you wake up alone, I'm in the gym. After that I'm going to go for a swim._

_Care to join me?_

_E. _

Within minutes I took a large gulp of water from a bottle he had left out for me and grabbed my blue bikini and robe. I paid a quick visit to the bathroom and put on the bikini, draping my robe over my shoulders.

I made my way carefully to the pool room. As yet he wasn't there. I stood for a few minutes under the shower and headed for the pool. I dived in, not particularly elegantly but making a satisfying splash. I began to swim the length of the pool. The silence in the room was wonderful. Just the sound of disturbed water. As I turned at the end of the pool to swim back up, he walked into the room.

I stopped where I was and stood, to take in his beauty. He rinsed himself under the shower and without a second thought, dived in. Almost without a sound or a splash. He swam under the surface, over to where I stood, rising out of the water, just in front of me.

"Hey you." He said, raking his eyes over me as though he hadn't seen me for a week.

"Hey Mr. Energetic." I replied. I brought my hands up to his face and cupped it. I slowly brought my face to his and kissed his lips softly, again and again.

"So." He began, between kisses. "We've…set...the…date. The…day…before…my…birthday."

"Uh huh." I answered,

"So…we…can…tell…our…parents." He continued.

"Umm hmm." I answered.

"Good." He placed his hands on the sides of my head and held me still. His, eyes turned emerald green. Dangerous green. He kissed my mouth, parting my lips with his tongue and took back control.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **I know this was a short chapter for a change but at this stage in the story I just wanted them to have their time. So, while I think of the next instalment, I would appreciate your input in the form of reviews. Thank you for reading. Take care.


	49. Chapter 49

**Author's note; **Finally, I have the next chapter for you. FF has been a little unco-operative this weekend, which delayed it even more. Anyway, that aside, I can now breath easy that it is done! Just to let you know - there is a LEMON in this chapter. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but I thought of this story.

**Cook Wanted **

The Weekend Continued

The rest of our weekend at the Forks house was spent relaxing, as much as possible. Saturday evening Edward played the piano for me. He had finished composing his piece of music for me and played the whole piece. It was beautiful. He hummed it to me that night, as I was falling asleep.

The weather held out for us long enough on the Sunday, so we packed a picnic and made our way up to Edward's favourite place. Our meadow. It would probably be one of the last times this summer that we could make the most of spending time there. We went over some of our wedding arrangements, deciding that we would like to get married in a church. As soon as we got back to Seattle and booked one, then an announcement could go into the newspaper. We both agreed that we would let both sets of parents take on as much responsibility as they wanted, as long as we knew exactly what was being arranged and organised. We both knew how much our mother's would want to be involved. It was a no-brainer.

We travelled back to Seattle Sunday evening, picking up something to eat when we were nearly home.

The family were delighted that we had set the date for our wedding and I made sure that I rang my mom and dad to tell them the good news. Dad sounded very proud and I could tell that mom struggled to hold back the tears.

I sat down with Alice and Esme and began discussing our wedding plans. Top of the list was booking the church. Alice wrote down three possible choices with the telephone numbers. I said that I would ring all three of them the next morning to see which church would be available.

"I suppose you want to keep everything as simple as possible, don't you Bella?" Alice asked, with a far away look on her face.

I smiled at her. She knew me so well. "Yes, Alice. As simple as humanly possible for this family. And that includes the dress." Alice seemed to refocus back to the room and gave a small smile.

"The dress is already more than an idea, Bella. We don't have to worry about that just yet." She moved away from the dinning table, where we were sitting and wandered over to the kitchen. She stood at the kitchen doorway having poured herself a glass of milk.

"All you need to do is decide on the colour scheme for the day, pick out wedding invitations and the wedding bands with Edward. We'll keep you updated, won't we mom?"

Esme nodded, reaching accross the table to give my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I think we've done enough for this evening, girls. Time to get to bed." She stood from the table and looked over to the living room. "Seems that the men decided to go to bed a while ago. I'll see you both in the morning. Sleep well, you two."

"Goodnight mom." Alice said, taking her empty glass back into the kitchen.

"Goodnight Esme. Thank you." I said, rising from the chair and moving over to where she stood. I gave her a hug. She looked at me intently.

"What on earth are you thanking me for, Bella? I should be thanking you, sweetheart. You've made Edward so happy. Only you could have put the smile back on his face. Goodness knows how hard this family tried. We're so glad that you came to this family. Now, I'm going to bed before I get completely mushy." She kissed my cheek and made her way upstairs. "See you in the morning!" She called, not looking back.

I looked over to Alice. She looked really tired. "Come on you. Let me give you a hand up the stairs. It must be really tiring for you carrying all that extra weight around."

"I must admit. Now they're getting so active in here," She began as she rested her hands on her fairly round stomach. "I find it hard to get around. Goodness knows what size I'm going to get too at the end of it all! But at least I'll have plenty of time to get back into shape before the wedding. I don't think I would have enjoyed floating up the aisle behind you looking like some barrage balloon!" She chuckled, as I took her arm and made our way up the stairs. I walked her to her room.

"Thanks for that, Bella. See you in the morning." She said, opening her door and shutting it quietly, behind her.

By the time I got changed and slipped into bed, Edward was already asleep. He looked so peaceful. I snuggled into his side gently. His arm instinctively wrapped around me and I soon fell into a deep sleep.

The following Saturday.......

I had decided, with Rose and Emmett returning from their honeymoon, sometime in the afternoon, I would organise a meat and cheese fondue for the evening meal. I made plenty of side dishes as I knew that Emmett would not be patient, waiting for the meat to cook. I prepared a tomato and Feta cheese salad and a green salad with peppers and sweetcorn. During the day, I had made some freshly baked rolls and a potato salad with homemade French Dressing. I made sure that I prepared plenty of potatoes in their skins and that we had plenty of sauces to use as dips. For dessert I made a pineapple upside down cake and whipped up plenty of fresh cream.

Charlie was assigned to collect them from the airport. Everything was ready for their arrival. We all gathered at the end of the hallway ready to greet them, once Charlie had called to say that he was only ten minutes away from the house. We were ready with handfuls of confetti, to throw over them as they walked in.

The front door opened and romantically Emmett had scooped Rose up into his arms and carried her over the threshold. He had an enormous grin on his face. We dispensed with the confetti over their heads as they walked through to the living room. We cheered and clapped as Carlisle opened a bottle of champagne and began to fill the glasses and hand them out. Once everyone had a glass, Carlisle proposed the toast.

"To Emmett and Rose. We wish you both a long and happy life together and we promise not to talk about grandchildren...just yet." He grinned, raising his glass. We laughed at the last comment, raising our glasses.

"Thanks for that, dad. Just give us a little time together before we add to this family. I think Rose here, has an important project that she needs to finish first." He winked over at Edward. The exchange between the brothers, was not something that I could begin to fathom. _Boys will be boys I guess._

While Rose and Emmett talked about Anguilla and how beautiful the place was, I set the table up. Once I had finished, all that was needed was for everyone to sit down. Esme checked the table and seeing that it was ready, gently ushered the family to sit down.

The fondue idea went down very well. It allowed us plenty of time to talk, accompanied by lots of laughter.

Esme was the first to tell Rose and Emmett that our wedding day had been decided on. "At last, you two!" Rose exclaimed. "I suppose Esme had a hand in that?" She said, looking over to Esme. Esme's face blushed slighty.

"Well, if I hadn't, goodness knows when they would have set the date. We all know that Seattle cannot be kept waiting with important social dates, such as a wedding."

Esme smiled at the two of us, knowing full well that she was right.

When Esme told Rose the date of the wedding, she looked over at the two of us, with raised eyebrows. "My goodness! D'you think you're going to get everything organised in that time? It took us eighteen months!"

"Of course we'll get everything organised in time. Goodness knows we've had plenty of practice, what with Alice's wedding and yours. We've already made a start." Esme said, smiling at Rose, triumphantly.

"Bella has managed to book a church." Alice beamed. "Seattle First Baptist is available. It has beautiful stained glass windows. If we're lucky and the sun is shining, we will have some lovely colours inside the church, during the ceremony." Only Alice would think of that. With Alice, even the smallest details of the wedding day were not ignored.

"Well, don't forget, Bella. If you need an extra pair of hands, I'm available." Rose offered. I smiled at her and mouthed a 'thank you' across the table.

"What about your mom, Bella? I hope she's not going to feel too much out of the loop, with her being so far away." Rose added, thoughtfully.

"No, not at all. Mom's going to get regular e-mails from us to keep her up to speed and she'll be able to do some research for us on the internet. That will save us some time, as we're all at work and very soon Alice is going to be busy with the twins." I answered.

Alice shot me an incredulous look. "Do you really think that having twins is going to stop me being involved in your wedding, Bella? There is no way that I'm going to sit back and be told what's going on. I will be in your face just as much as usual. Trust me." She said, looking over to me and then to Edward.

Edward looked at her with narrowed eyes. "You don't change do you sis? Once you get the bit between your teeth there's no stopping you. Believe her, Bella. The twins will not slow her down." He smiled at me. I smiled at his comment and nodded at Alice. There was no way I would argue with her when she was this determined.

I rounded the dinner off with a fresh pot of coffee.

The evening finally came to an end. Edward helped me to clear the table and load the dishwasher, as I quickly swept up the mess we had made in the hallway. Between the two of us we had the place tidy in no time.

We all wished each other a good night. It felt good that the whole family were together again. I had noticed Edward listening intently, while Emmett talked about Anguilla and how much he had enjoyed himself. It made we wonder where Edward would decide that we would have our honeymoon.

My Birthday...

That dreaded day had arrived. Fortunately the family, by this time, were used to me not liking too much fuss being made when It involved me. The morning certainly began very well, with Edward bringing me breakfsast in bed. It meant that I didn't have to face anyone straight away and by the time I got up, it seemed that everyone was out doing something.

We had a light snack for lunch, in the kitchen. The house seemed almost too quite.

"We have to make a stop before we go out to dinner tonight, Bella." Edward informed me, as we were getting ready. We were due to meet up at Esme's favourite restaurant to celebrate the day. I had relented to this arrangement, as I felt that this was just the Cullen family's way of celebrating anything that they deemed important on the calendar.

"Where?" I asked suspiciously, watching him get dressed after his shower.

He looked at me and smiled, a little too confidently for my liking.

"Just something I need to pick up, Bella. Don't panic, it'll only mean a slight detour and it won't take ten minutes to collect. I promise." He put his hand over his heart, to reassure me. I wasn't too sure about the grin, that accompanied the innocent look though.

"Okay, if you say so." I mumbled, as I put my hair up in a messy bun and put on one last layer of lipstick. Alice had insisted that I wear a new creation of hers, that I must admit, looked wonderful. The colour was perfect for me. A midnight blue, wrapover dress, that finished just below the knee, which meant, of course, that I had to wear a pair of high heels. I was actually getting quite used to them now and really didn't mind wearing them. _Of course I'm not's going to tell Alice little snippet of information. If I do, I think I mightn't see a sensible pair of shoes in my wardrobe ever again!_

Once ready, Edward gave me an approving look. Those looks always made me feel that maybe we should just stay at home and celebrate privately. But that day would come soon enough when we were married. There would not the same expectations made on us then. I hoped.

Edward opened the passenger door of his Volvo for me. Once he had settled himself, he brought the car to life and we headed off. I was still none the wiser as to where we were going.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up outside Emmett car dealership. "You wait here, my love. I won't be long." I frowned at him, suspiciously, as I watched him disappear into the repair shop next door. _Why on earth would he be going in there? Surely, there wouldn't be anyone in there at this time of the day._

Just a few minutes later, Edward was at my side of the car, opening the door."Bella. This is taking a little longer than I thought. I don't want you sitting in the car on your own. Come in with me, while I'm waiting."

I huffed to myself. _We're going to be late for the restaurant, at this rate!_

He took my hand, locked the car and lead me into the repair shop. There was only one dim light on in the entry way. "What are you up to, Edward?" I whispered. I felt as though we shouldn't have been there. I almost got the feeling that we were intruders.

"I'm not up to anything, my love. Just come over here and wait. I just have to go in there. I won't be far" This was all becoming weirder by the second. I watched as he walked into the main repair shop and the light was suddenly turned on. I blinked a couple of times to focus my eyes on the room. I gasped as I saw the whole family gathered. They began to sing Happy Birthday, beckoning me to walk towards them. At first I was hesitant. Of course this was a set up. But what kind? Surely, someone was going to die for this!

I slowly walked toward the group as they finished singing and they then took turns in giving me a hug and kisses.

"We know you don't like being made a fuss of, Bella but it's your birthday and we could not let it go by, without some sort of gift." Rose began. I looked at them all, trying to work out who looked more guilty than the rest.

"What have you done?" I asked, in little more than a whisper.

"We pooled our resources together, Bella." Carlisle said, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and began to walk me over to one corner of the large repair shop.

I glanced over my shoulder and sure enough the rest of the family were following, all of them with grins on their faces.

"What is the thing that you love dearly? Almost, as much as Edward." Carlisle asked, resting his hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Umm, well. I have missed my truck but that's been out of action for some time now and has been kept in my friend's garage." I answered. _What have they done?!_

"Do you remember what the truck looked like?" He continued.

"Well, yes of course I do." I answered. _I've been driving the thing since I legally could._

"Okay then, Bella, dear. Edward would you do the honours please." Carlisle gestured toward a large covered shaped that we had just reached.

Edward stepped forward as Carlisle stopped the two of us some four feet away. Slowly Edward pulled on the large cover. All I could see was the beginnings of a black vehicle. As more and more of it was revealed, I could tell by the shape that it was a truck similar to mine. I frowned, mystified. But this was a beautiful beast, shiny and new. The wheels were enormous with gleaming alloys. The front end was now completely uncovered and Edward stood there with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, my goodness! You bought me a new truck?! I can't believe this!" I covered my face with my hands out of embarrassement. _This was simply too much!_

"No Bella. We didn't buy you a new one." Emmett boomed. I walked over to it as I slowly began to piece together their words.

I touched it gingerly. It was too good to be true. This _was_ my truck. "I can't believe that you've done this. This is simply amazing!"

"I take it then, that you're pleased?" Alice asked, walking over to me, looking into my face.

"How could I not be? This is just incredible. How did you know where she was being kept? I don't think I told any of you!"

"That wasn't a problem, Bella." Esme chimed. "I spoke to your mom and she gave me the address where it was being stored. We didn't have to convince your friend too much, as to who we were. He was actually quite pleased that we were taking it away. He need the room in his garage, for his new car."

"So, we had it taken down to the Forks work shop. Jake has been working on it solidly. It proved to me what a good mechanic he was. He installed the new engine and few other things and then we had it finished off, back in Seattle. She looks beautiful doesn't she?" Rose added.

"She really does." I said wistfully, running my hand along the length of her.

Edward held out a set of keys for me. "Here, why don't you start her up? I think you'll notice a marked difference, when you do."

I immediately walked over to him and kissed his cheek, unlocked the door on the drivers side and put the key into the ignition. It felt like it was my first time behind the wheel, all over again. The seats were finished in black leather with gold trim. The dashboard was now a piece of richly polished mahogany. All the dials had been replaced, in fact everything seemed to be new and yet it still felt like my truck, She was absolutely gorgeous now. I turned the key and brought her to life. The sound of her engine was sweet. She didn't make the complaining noises that she used to. She purred like a cat. A rather large cat, but a cat nonetheless. I couldn't stop smiling. I killed the engine and jumped from the drivers side.

I quickly made my way over to the family. I hugged each one of them but was unable to say anything at that moment in time. Their gesture had renderd me speechless.

I saved my last hug for Edward. I reached up to him, snaking my arms around his neck. "I know we've promised never to keep secrets from each other. This kind of secret, I really don't mind. I love you so much Edward. Thank you." I peppered his face with gentle kisses, careful not to get too much lipstick on his face. That would be done later.

"You are most welcome, my love. I know how much you like to be independent. So, now you can get yourself around Seattle. We've even had a satnav installed for you to make getting around Seattle, that much easier for you. Although, I think Charlie was a little disappoionted that he wouldn't be needed to drive you around town anymore."

"At the rate that Alice is growing, it won't be long until she won't be able to get behind the wheel, so I'm sure it's a good thing that he'll be available for her." I stated. Everyone chuckled and Alice wrapped her arms around her stomach, smiling.

"Well, come on everyone. We have a table waiting for us. Don't worry about the truck, Bella. We'll get it dropped off at the house in the morning. I've arranged for one of my guys, to drive it over." Emmett said. I nodded and handed the keys to Rose.

I took one last look at my truck before we left the building and headed for the restaurant.

When we got there, we sat at our usual table. Baskets of flowers had been beautifully arranged and set on the table, one for each woman of the household. They were a mixture of cornflowers, pink and white daisies and yellow marigolds. They reminded me of the flowers that grew in the meadow, the place where I first began to fall in love with Edward.

The evening was perfect. The meal was oustanding as always and we toasted with champagne. All too soon the evening was over and it was time to head home. We all went to bed almost as soon as we got in. We had been the last to leave the restuarant.

I thanked everyone once again for the wonderful present and before I became too overwhelmed, Edward took my hand and led me to our room.

As he shut the door behined us, he pulled me into his arms.

"I've been waiting to do this all evening." He whispered into my ear, as he kissed my neck.

"Umm." I replied. "So, what do you have in mind to complete this almost perfect day?" I added.

"Almost perfect?" He breathed, not taking his lips too far from my skin.

"Umm, yes, Mr Grand in the gestures department."

"Oh, I could think of one or two things but I think I'll settle on taking you to bed and making mad, passionate love to you." He pulled away from me slightly and looked into my eyes with his noticeably, dark green ones. "Will that do?" He added, planting a chaste kiss on my mouth.

"Umm hmm. It certainly will. You make it sound like it's my least favourite option." I whispered to him as he began to undress me. Within minutes, all of my clothes were dispensed with. _How does he do that? _I had begun to realise that he had an overwhelming power over me whenever those green eyes of his, turned dark. It was something that I could not control. And did I really want too?

I began to undress him as he kissed my face and neck almost hungrily. He had me gasping for breath at one point and then the tables were turned when I released his erect length from its confines and gently stroked him.

He moaned into my mouth as he deepened the kiss and picked me up by the waist to carry me to the bed. As I sat on the edge of the bed I quickly took control and enveloped my mouth around him. He hissed loudly, gripping my shoulders as gently as he could.

"Bella, it's your birthday today..." He gasped.

"Umm." Was the only sound that came from my mouth, at that moment. I pulled away, replacing my mouth with my hand. "And because it is, I get to do whatever I want."

I replaced my hand with my mouth once again, gripping his hips with my hands, as I continued my ministrations.

"Oh God, Bella. You are just too good at this. I really do want to come with you, please?" I knew he wouldn't last much longer if I kept up the pace, so I gently released him.

I pushed myself up the bed, allowing him time to refocus. He crawled up the bed towards me, stopping every so often to kiss various parts of my body, sending shivers up my spine, another reward in itself. I shut my eyes at the sensations. He couldn't get me anymore aroused if he tried.

I forced my eyes open, not wanting to miss looking at his beauty. He had reached my stomach by this time and was looking at me from under his lashes. I could feel myself pulsating, needing him more and more. My breathing became laboured as his kisses reached by breasts. He kissed his way up between them, his chest just grazing my nipples, making me shudder beneath him.

"Bella," He whispered. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. I don't know how I survived without you, all of these years." His mouth came crashing down on mine, taking my breath away. I fisted his hair, gasping for breath as his mouth moved over mine.

He pressed his heated body onto mine, sliding down a fraction bending my legs at the knees and entering me in one swift movement. My back arched under him and as much as I tried to keep my eyes open, I couldn't.

He kissed and nipped at my neck. So many words were going through my mind but I wasn't able to give any of them a voice. He had rendered me speechless, as one orgasm after another, coursed through my body.

"Oh God, Bella. It doesn't matter how many times we make love, I just can't seem to get close enough to you." He said breathlessly. His words were like switches turning on different parts of my body, more and more.

As his pace increased to the point of no return, I gripped his shoulders and reached up to his face to kiss any part of it, that I was able to come in contact with.

Finally, I was able to speak to him, only slightly more than a whisper. "Edward." I said, gasping. "You make me so happy. God, I love you." As soon as the words fell from my lips, he took me over the edge with him, both of us trembling and gasping for breath. He laid his body on mine, carefully. I always found it quite amazing that at that moment, even though I was spent, I was still strong enough to take his weight.

After a few moments of breathing deeply and gathering some kind of coherent thoughts, he lifted himself away from me and laid on his back, still breathing deeply.

"You know, Bella. When we get our own place, I'm going to have you screaming my name all over the house." We both looked at each other. He had his wonderful grin plastered on his face and I was sure that my face was sporting its dumbfounded look.

"I promise you, Bella. We will not be living here after we're married. Come to think of it, we may even move before the wedding." He smiled to himself, looking up at the ceiling.

He had taken my breath away, yet again.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that I'm jumping forward in time now. I really hope all of my CW readers are okay with this decision. There is a lot more to come before the big day. So, while I go away and rest my fingers for a bit and think about working on the next chapter, you will have plenty of opportunity to review. Take care.


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's note; **Many, many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. I think I have now, replied to all of you. Thank you also, to those of you who have added this story to your Favourites/Story Alerts Lists and to those of you who have added me to your Favourite Author's List. I am very flattered. So, on with the story. I'm not going to say much about this chapter. I'll let you read it and then, when you have decided what you think about it, you can........

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight. It's sad but true.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday

Once again the week went by, all too quickly. The whole family had been very busy. Alice was putting together the final touches to her designs for New York, Edward seemed to be working more then the allotted hours, in surgery, and I had another wedding cake order for October.

As I tidied away the breakfast dishes and loaded the diswasher, after everyone had gone to work, I set my plan into action, to head out to Forks for the weekend. I would be the only person able to go that morning. Edward had said that he would try and join me in the evening, but he couldn't promise. I decided to go anyway. I wanted to give my truck a good run and listen to her purr along the roads, eating up the miles, without any of the old hindrances on her abilities.

"You will text me when you get there, Bella?" Edward had asked, before he went to work.

"You worry too much, Edward. I've got the satnav, to make sure I don't take any wrong turns." I chided, rolling my eyes at him._ It's lovely that he cares so much about me, though._

I pulled him to me, as he got ready to leave the house and planted a chaste kiss on his wonderful lips. "I'll see you when you get there, okay?" I smiled.

He nodded in reply and shut the front door behind him.

I quickly got my overnight bag together, making sure I had some music for the journey and made my way down, to my beauty, waiting for me on the front drive. I smiled at her. Even though she had been turned into a rather seductive thing on four wheels, she was still my truck, underneath all that shiny black paint and alloys.

I settled myself in the drivers seat and started her up. Wow! She sounded good. A sudden thought sprang to my mind. I would go and visit Jacob, say hello and show him how wonderful my truck looks now. Even if he had seen the finished product, I wanted to show him how much I appreciated his part, in my birthday present. I hadn't seen Jacob in a while and I was sure that sufficient time had passed, that his feelings for me, would have cooled, especially now that Edward and I had set the date, the details of which had been posted in the papers that week.

I had always valued Jacob's friendship, and that was what I hoped we could retun too. Being friends as we were, all those years ago.

I put on some music once I got through the city traffic, taking the route that would lead me to Forks. My mind drifted from thoughts of the wedding and things that still needed to be done for that occassion to thoughts of what I would say to Jacob, once I arrived. I then thought about what I would do at the weekend. Hopefully, with Edward joining me at some point, we could spend plenty of time relaxing. A midnight swim sounded like a very lovely idea._ I wonder if there'll be a full moon tonight? Umm, swimming with Edward in the moonlight. Heaven!_

I had to quickly shake those ideas out of my head, literally, before I potentially, veered off the road.

When I finally arrived at Forks, still feeling very positive about seeing Jacob again, I parked the car at the front of the repair garage. The shutter was open and I could hear music coming from somewhere inside. I killed the engine. I quickly took out my phone and sent Edward a text, as promised, to say that I had arrived safely in Forks.

I then got out of the truck and made my way into the garage via the open shutter.

"Jacob!" I called. There was no answer. I knew that he wouldn't leave the garage unattended, with the music on and the shutter open, so I called out again.

"Jacob!" I wandered over to where the music was coming from. It was then, that I saw a pair of jean clad legs, sticking out from under a car.

I bent down and looked along the body, laying on the ground. Seeing his face, albeit from an unusual angle, I knew it was him. I called his name, again.

"Jacob! It's me, Bella." He tilted his head forward slightly, so as not to bang his head on the engine above him. He smiled.

"Hi Bella. I'll be out in a second." He replied, raising his voice slightly.

"Okay, no rush." I answered, stood up and waited by the office, leaning on the door. The only chair that seemed to be available, had a large oil stain on the seat. I wasn't going to chance that one. I only intended to be here a short time anyway.

Jacob finished what he was doing and pulled himself out from under the car. He stood for a moment smiling at me, while he wiped his greasy hands on a rag. He nodded to me.

"It's good to see you Bella. What brings you over to this neck of the woods?" He moved away to a tool chest, at the back of the garage, to put away whatever tools, he had been working with.

He turned to me again awaiting my reply. I couldn't quite understand why the sight of him, as he was, was having such a strange affect on me. He smiled at me again and took a couple of steps forward in my direction, tilting his head to one side.

I took a deep breath and refocused, on the reason why I had stopped by.

"Oh, I wanted to say hi and say thank you for your part in my birthday present." I actually felt my face flush slightly. _What is going on?_

"Think nothing of it, Bella. You now how much I love to work on cars. I was my pleasure." He said, looking at me intently. "I take it you drove down in her?"

"Yes, that's why I wanted to stop by, so you could have a look at her. I wasn't sure if you saw her in all her glory." I stated.

He beamed at me. "No, I didn't. When she left here, she was still red and rusty." He made his way to the front of the garage and stepped outside. I followed him.

"Wow! She looks beautiful." He said, turning to face me again. I gave him a weak smile.

"She's wonderful to drive, now. Thanks to you." I stated, nodding towards her. He turned again and walked the length of her, inspecting every curve, with his fingers ghosting over the bodywork.

"Rose, certainly chose the right colour for her. You must look quite mean, going down the road in this. What is she like to drive?"

"A dream, compared to what she used to be. She purrs like a cat." I added. He smiled wrily and gave me a sidwards glance. He walked up to the drivers door and opened it to inspect the dash board. He nodded his approval and shut the door again.

"Is it good, to feel independent again?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, it is. It was nice to be driven around by Charlie, but I really missed being able to do things the minute I wanted too." I smiled. He nodded in understanding.

"So, what have you got planned for the weekend?" He asked, with a small smile on his lips.

"Well, everyone seems to be busy. Edward said that he hoped to travel down this evening, but there's no guarantee. He's very busy at the moment."

"So your going to be alone?" He sounded surprised.

"Well, pretty much. I don't mind though. I have a lot of thinking to do, what with the wedding next year. I'll be able to get some ideas for it, put down on paper." His face fell at my words. _Oh God. He obviously hasn't read about it yet._

"So, you've set the date, have you?" He asked, in a steady tone.

"Yes, June, next year." I replied, quietly. "Jacob." I began. "I really don't want there to be any awkwardness between us. Your sister and I were friends for quite a while and I would like to think that we could still remain friends. As long as, you do too."

He looked down at the ground for a moment, as if he were making up his mind about an answer.

"Yes, your right, Bella. Friends. If nothing else, we can be friends." He confirmed, looking at me once again and smiling, his usual, warm smile.

"Good." I replied, sighing with relief.

"So, what are you going to do now?" He asked, heading back inside the garage.

"I'll head out to the house and have some lunch."

"Hey, how about we go to the diner." He said enthusiastically. "I haven't eaten yet and I've finished here, for the day." He added.

"Well, I..."

"It's okay, Bella. I understand. I just thought it would be nice for us to catch up, that's all." He had a point. If we were going to act like adults and start off on the right foot with our friendship, a simple meal with a friend, was a good place to start. I smiled at him and his face relaxed.

"Okay then. I'd love too. I'll wait in the truck for you." I gave him a quick nod and made my way to the truck.

"Give me ten minutes, to get cleaned up." He called out disappearing into the back of the garage.

I made myself comfortable in the truck and put on some music to help pass the time. I watched the traffic pass by in my rearview mirror. Forks was quite busy for a Friday afternoon. I wondered if they were the city workers, finishing work early and wanting to get away from it all. I noticed a black car parked opposite the garage with a man sitting in the driver's seat. He seemed to be looking over in my direction, though I couldn't be sure of that. I looked down for a moment to change the music and when I looked back in my rearview mirror, he had gone. He was no doubt waiting for someone to come out of a shop. I paid no further heed.

Jacob was true to his word. Ten minutes, was all it took him to get cleaned up. He walked out of the garage and appeared to be freshly showered, wearing a clean set of clothes. His hair was tied back and he was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a very tight white t-shirt. I felt my eyes gaze at his torso, a little too long. I shut my eyes in order to refocus._ What was wrong with me?_

He got into the truck, smiling broadly. Instantly he filled the inside of the truck with the fresh smell of soap and musk. Not unpleasant.

"I didn't realise that you had all the modern conveniences in the garage." I snorted, sarcastically.

"When Rose took over the place, that was one of the things she insisted on. The garage in Seattle is a little more up market. It has a shower for women too!"

I smiled at this piece of information. Why did that not surprise me?! Rose never came home looking anything but immaculate from a day of working inside and under cars.

I brought the truck to life. Jacob smiled as he tilted his head to one side, concentrating on the sound of the engine. He began to smile and nod. I strapped myself in.

"What d'you think, then?" I asked looking at him as I reversed, out of the garage parking area.

"She sounds good. So much better than before. There is no comparison." He settled back on the seat and strapped himself in.

The diner was only a short ride from the garage. We could have walked it, but I wanted to show off to Jacob how wonderful the truck was now, and to show him how pleased I was.

I parked the truck in a parking bay outside the diner, doing a double take in my rear view mirror. The black car was there again. This time the man in the driver's seat, bent down and seemed to pull out a map, opening it out across the steering wheel. He must be lost. I gave him no further thought as Jacob shut the passenger door rather loadly, breaking me out of the musings.

"Come on, Bella. I'm starving!" He chided and motioned for me to hurry up. I caught up with him just inside the diner door, after grabbing my purse and locking up the truck.

Jacob ordered the steak and all the trimmings and I ordered the chicken with a green salad and French fries.

"Umm, this tastes good." I stated, taking a sip of my soda.

"Not as good as your cooking, Bella. That meal you cooked that night, was out of this world. I don' t think I have ever tasted anything, so good before." He beamed enthusiastically.

"Okay, Jacob enough with the compliments. Your making me blush." I playfully, punched his arm.

"You should be complimented, Bella. Your an amazing...cook." He said, his face taking on a serious tone. His hesitation, did not go unnoticed by me.

The rest of our meal was taken up with general chit chat about his family and my parents. He didn't ask any questions about the Cullens or the wedding. I didn't mind. This was after all, our time to attempt at re-establishing some kind of friendship, once again.

We rounded off the meal with a coffee and sat back in our seats not feeling particularly rushed. Jacob graciously settled the bill. He refused for me to pay my half, clamping his large hand over mine, when I attempted to get the money out of my purse. We both fell silent for a moment, looking down at his hand covering mine. His hand was very warm and soft even though he spent most of his time working on car engines.

The silence became almost awkward. He finally moved his hand from mine, sliding it away, as if to maintain contact with me for as long as possible. I looked up at him to find him smiling, sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to overstep any bounderies. I..."

"It's okay, Jacob. Let's forget about it. Do you need a lift anywhere?"

"Umm, yeah. Would you mind dropping me off at home?"

"So, where is home, exactly?" I asked, cheerily

"I still live on the reservation. I have my own place now. It's not too big, but it suits my needs." He said, standing.

"You'll have to give me directions, Jacob. This is unchartered territory, for me." I stated.

"Sure, no problem. I'll make sure you're going in the right direction, once you've dropped me off. I know where the Cullen House is. It's fairly easy to find, from the res."

We made our way back to my truck and settled ourselves in for the journey. Some twenty five minutes later, we arrived at the reservation and Jacob's house.

"Thanks, Bella. Just take the route back that I explained, you can't go wrong. Would you like to come in and have a look at the place before you go?" He asked, hopefully.

"No, Jacob I really should be going. If Edward has managed to make it to Forks by now, he'll be wondering where I am." I answered. Jacob nodded and jumped down from the passenger side of the truck. He walked round to my door. I pressed the switch to lower the window.

"Thanks for coming by, Bella. It was good to see you." He smiled, softly at me.

"Likewise, Jacob. Thank you for the meal. It _was_ good to see you. And thank you for all the hard work that you did, on the truck. She really is a work of art, now."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I suppose you could call her that." He said slowly, looking at me intently, again.

"I'll see you sometime again, Jacob." Breaking him out of his daydream. "Take care." I added, as I pressed the switch, to close the window.

He gave me a small wave as I brought the truck back to life and I headed out onto the road again.

I had only been back on the road for some ten minutes, when a car pulled in front of me. I frowned at the car, as it began to slow down. The driver was motioning with his hand for me to pull over. _What on earth does he want?_

I then realised, as I came to a stop, that this was the same car that I had seen a couple of times today, in town. I looked closer at the driver through the front windscreen. Yes, it was the same driver. _What is his problem? He must be really lost._

He got out of the car and made his way over to my door. He was quite tall and slim built, with dark blonde, wavy, collar length, hair. His eyes were a very piercing blue. He was looking very concerned.

I lowered the window down, once he stood next to my door."Can I help you? Are you lost?" I asked, as politely as my patience would allow, at this moment in time.

"I'm sorry 'bout this, something is not right with your rear driver's side tyre. I think you may need to have a look at it and then you'll see what I mean." I frowned at him. I hadn't noticed that there was anything wrong with the truck. She seemed to be running just fine. I certainly couldn't remember running over anything that might have caused a problem.

"Okay." I said slowly and opened the door to get out. He stood back for a second to allow the door to open.

Then, what happened next, occurred so quickly, that I really could not process it all at the same time. All I knew was, that he was now in the driver's seat, having pushed me over to the passenger side, with a considerable amount of force. He quickly locked the doors from the driver's side and pulled out a hand gun, pointing it at me.

I took in a large breath and shouted at him. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!" I bellowed. I grabbed at the door handle next to me in the futile attempt to escape the confines of the truck. But of course there was no way out. I sat back in the corner of the seat, up against the door, trying to stay as far away from the intruder as possible.

I opened my mouth again, ready to shout at him. I was incensed. He held the gun up to my face. "Shut the fuck up! If you say another word, I will use this!" He threatened.

I sat there frozen. My mouth open and my back pressed into the door as far as possible, the cold of the metal making the flesh on my back, goosebump. I raised my hands as an offer of submission and he promptly placed the gun on his lap, bring the truck to life, driving around his vehicle and continuing on the road towards town.

My heart was beating so fast and my head was pounding with fear. My throat had suddenly become very dry and it was difficult for me to swallow. _What is going on? What_ _does he want with me?_

He obviously didn't worry about covering up his identity because from what I could see, he wasn't wearing any kind of a disguise. He face was set hard as he concentrated on driving. I suddenly wished that my truck was what it used to be, slow. Right now it seemed to be conspiring against me, taking me, too fast, to where ever this man wanted to take me.

I kept my eyes trained on him, trying to think if there was any way that I could pre-empt him. No matter what, he had the upper hand. He was strong and he had a gun. _What chance do I have to get away from him? What does he intend to do to me? _I tried hard, to concentrate on breathing properly.

Suddenly we came to a stop. I quickly turned my head looking out of the front windscreen. We were still on the main road, but exactly where I wasn't sure. I hadn't seen anything outside of the truck. I had spent the entire time watching him, in utter fear.

At the speed that we had been travelling, I could only suspect that by now, we were the other side of town, heading in the direction of the Cullen house. That thought naturally faded from my mind. _Why on earth would we be going there? How would he know where it was? He didn't even know who I was, did he?_

He placed his left hand deliberatly on top of the gun in his lap, as if he were warning me. He reached into the right hand pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of black material. He glanced over to me, his face still hard and looking angry.

"Put. This. On." He instructed me. I reached forward with my hand and took hold of the material, looking at it with suspicion. "Cover. Your. Eyes." Were the next set of instructions.

I quickly covered my eyes with the black material and tied it, behind my head. All I could now see, were my hands in my lap. "Don't take it off until I tell you too. D'you hear me?" I nodded. Speech was beyond me right at this moment in time. My throat was now, far too dry and tight. Breathing properly, long forgotten.

The truck came to life once again. We began to move. At first, we were still on the road and then the truck did a right turn onto what seemed like a dirt track, which was slightly bumpy and noisy, the tyres moving against gravel. We seemed to travel along this dirt track for quite a while.

Then suddenly, the truck stopped and he killed the engine. Everything was eerily quiet. All I could hear were my deep, panicky breaths and my abductor, mumbling something, under his breath.

Suddenly there was a familiar noise. My phone was chiming out, that a text message had been recieved. He grabbed at my purse and then I heard him huff.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. Poor Edward is going to be quite distraught when you don't answer him, don't you think?" He said, menacingly.

My hands began to shake. _Does he know me? And does he know Edward?_ My stomach churned, making me feel quite nauseous.

I suddenly felt completely helpless. This was not a random abduction. It was planned and he knew exactly what was going to happen next. My whole body began to shake as the tears began to stream down my face.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **....REVIEW!! Take care.


	51. Chapter 51

**Author's note; **Many thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapter and to those of you who have put this story on your Favourites/Story Alerts List. Some of you have also put me on your Favourite Author's List. I am truly amazed by all of you and how kind and generous you are. You inspire me to keep going. I must say, I was more than a little shocked at the response to the previous chapter. It seems that one reviewer, luv4jake, was right in saying that I had got my 'drama mojo' back. I was asked a little while ago as to when I would write another Edward POV. Well, here you are. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight but I thought of this story.

**COOK WANTED **

Friday Continued.....

EPOV

I finally stopped pacing, convinced that I had worn a shallow groove, into the marble tiles that constitued the flooring of the large hallway.

I held up my phone, yet again, impatiently checking it for the umpteenth time in the last hour, for some kind of evidence of contact from Bella. It had been five hours since I recieved Bella's message, that she had arrived safely in Forks. I little more than an hour ago, I'd sent a message to her, that I'd arrived at the Forks house.

I was surprised not to have seen her truck parked outside the garage, when I arrived. At first I thought that she may have gone to the store in town to pick up some groceries.

No, of course not. Angela always made sure that the freezer was stocked, and the necessary basics were in the fridge.

Maybe it was something else that she needed to get or she had just decided to take a look around town. Such as it is. If that was the case, then she should have returned by now, surely.

But the fact that she hadn't acknowledged my message, made me feel a little irritated, at first. Was the battery in her phone dead? Was it buried so deep within the confines of her purse, that she didn't hear it chime? Was my message not important enough, for her to bother to reply? My thoughts were verging on the ridiculous. Bella was far too organised not to have her phone fully charged or not to have it within easy reach, for that matter. There had to be another explanation.

Anything with regard to the reliability of the truck, drew a blank. The truck was basically brand new. It had been given a test run before it was presented to her. Everything on it had been doubled checked at my insistance, much to Rose's annoyance.

An accident? But surely, if such a thing had happened, someone would have contacted the family by now.

I then decided to do just that. Contact the family, to see if perhaps she had spoken to any of them, during the time that I was travelling on the road.

I contacted mom first.

"Hi Edward! I take it your in Forks?" She asked, cheerily.

"Yeah. I got here about an hour ago. Listen, mom. Has Bella rung you?" I was trying desparately not to sound worried.

"Well, no. Why? Is she not there with you?" She chided, her tone sounding a little surprised.

"No, she isn't. I sent her a message over an hour ago now, when I arrived. As yet, she hasn't answered." As I spoke I could feel my stomache churn. Panic was beginning to take hold. I had to keep it under control. Remain rational.

"Well, that doesn't sound like Bella at all. Have you spoken to Alice or Rose. She may have contacted one or both of them." Quick thinking mom, as always.

"I thought I would ring you first. I'll give Rose a call, just in case there was a problem with the truck." I reasoned.

"Yes, that sounds like a sensible thing to do. Let me know what Rose says, won't you?" She insisted.

"Yes, of course, mom. I'll speak to you soon." I shut my phone, took a deep breath and dialled Rose's number.

"Hi Edward." She said, cheerily.

"Hi, Rose has Bella rung you?" Pleasantries were no longer my priority right now.

"Uh, no Edward. Why, what's wrong?" Her voice taking on a serious tone, mimicking mine.

"I arrived in Forks over an hour ago" I begin to explain. "I sent Bella a message straight away. I haven't heard anything from her since she sent a message five hours ago now, saying that she had arrived in Forks."

"That doesn't sound good, Edward. Bella wouldn't just go off shopping or visit someone without letting you know. Where the hell could she have got too?" She mused.

"I need to do something, Rose. Waiting around is driving me mad." I finally confessed.

"Have you rung the Police yet?" She asked, hurriedly.

"No.I want to go out and have a look for her, myself. I'll allow myself half an hour. If I don't find her in that time, then I'll ring the Police." Voicing my thought process to her.

"Okay, Edward. Make sure you keep in contact. Em and I will make our way down shortly. Have you rung Alice?" She asked quietly.

"No, I thought better of it. I didn't think it would be a good idea if she started to stress about the situation. I'd rather she didn't know, just for now." I answered.

"No problem, Edward, I think your right. Alice and Jazz are staying in Seattle for the weekend. As soon as we've shut up shop here, we'll make our way down. We'll see you later, okay?" She said, trying to reassure me.

"Yes, . I'll ring when I've got any news." My mind was made up. I would go and look for her, now. I grabbed my car keys fron the hall table and made my way out to the car, locking up the house behind me.

I brought the car to life and drove to the end of the long drive, halting abruptly, when I reached the road. I looked to my left and then to my right. I decided to head into town. If she had stopped at one of the shops then at least I might be able to get some sort of idea as to where she had been. Turning left, with my phone resting in it's holder, I put my foot down.

When I arrived in town, I parked up, slipped my phone into my pant's pocket and made my way to the grocery store. Giving a brief decription of Bella to the store owner, I drew a blank. She had not been seen in there. I then walked over to the gas station. I described the truck to the attendant as well as giving a description of Bella. Another blank. Maybe she had gone for something to eat. It had been a while since we went to the diner. Thinking logically, she could have gone for something to eat, there. I headed to the diner straight away.

The diner was busy which was good, as there would be more of a chance that someone may have seen her. The waitress approached me, menu in hand. Before she could ask if I wanted a table, I asked her if she had seen Bella. She didn't need a description. She remembered Bella from the last time the family had dined there.

"Yes, your financee was here today. They came in for lunch. Mr Cullen." They?! What was she taking about?

"I'm sorry, did you say, they?" I asked, frowning at her.

"Yes, Mr Cullen, your financee and Jacob Black. He runs the repair shop..." I cut her off.

"Yes I know where he works. What time did they come in here?" I asked sharply.

"A little after twelve."She replied a little taken aback, by my urgent questioning.

That was about half an hour after Bella sent me the message, that she had arrived.

I took a deep breath and shot her the next question. "How long were they here for?"

"About an hour and a half, I think." She replied quietly.

"Did they leave together?" I think I was beginning to make the poor girl feel uncomfortable.

"Umm, yes. A large black truck. It's not one that I've seen around here before." She answered nervously.

"It's my financee's." I replied thoughtfully.

I didn't even realise that they had been in contact with each other. In fact, the last time I spoke to him, I thought I had made it clear that he was to stay away from her.

I nodded rather sharply at the waitress and without another word, left the diner.

I rang Bella's phone again. No answer. Breathing deeply I made my way back to my car and rang Rose.

"Edward, have you found her?" She asked anxiously.

"No, I've just come from the diner. She was in there earlier, having lunch with Black." I spat out.

"Oh, she probably wanted to show off the truck to him. I take it you want his number?" She said calmly.

"Yes, Rose. And his address." I tried to keep the tone of my voice under control. The process of keeping control of myself, was becoming extremely difficult as I was beginning to get more than a little aggitated at the thought of the two of them, spending time together. Why would she do that? He had made it quite clear as to how he felt about her and had made far too many inappropriate suggestions and physical contact, as far as I was concerned. As I remembered the last time that I had encountered him, holding onto her arm the way he did, my blood began to boil.

"Here you are, Edward. Have you got a pen and paper?"

"Yes, hold on, just getting back into the car." I answered, as I sat in the drivers seat and found a pen and piece of paper.

"Go ahead." I instructed Rose. I quickly wrote down the details and brought the car to life again.

"I'm going to head down there, now."

"Okay, Edward. Just make sure you keep in contact. We're on our way." She assured me.

"See you later, then, Rose." Shutting my phone, I placed it in my pocket, for the journey to La Push. I certainly wasn't going to waste my time ringing him. As I drove I could feel my jaw setting firm. I had to keep my temper under wraps until I had least established the time that he had last seen her. I pushed the thought that she might still be there with him, out of my head. Bella wouldn't do that to me. Surely. Not unless she was forced. Surely, not out of choice.

I only passed one or two cars en route and a car that was parked up, I presumed broken down, in a rather precarious place, on the opposite side of the road.

I arrived at the reservation. Black's place was fairly easy to find. As I pulled up on the gravel drive, I sat for a moment and scanned the area. Bella's truck was nowhere to be seen. Had she parked it at the back of the house? My mind was beginning to go into overdrive. I had a struggle keeping my thoughts logical. I pinched the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb, to help uncloud my thoughts.

I took two deep breaths, secured the car and made my way to his front door. A light was on in the front room and the hallway. I took a moment to stand still and listen for voices, as I stood on the front porch. Nothing. The silence put even more ridiculous thoughts into my head. Could it be that was she in there, with him?

I knocked, loudly, training my eyes on the closed door. I heard footsteps approaching, in the hallway, too heavy to be Bella's. I hoped for everyone's sake that she wasn't in there.

The door opened and we both stared at each other. I think he could read the anger on my face, by his reaction. His eyebrows shot up, making his eyes wide in surprise.

"Is Bella here?" I demanded, shifting my eyes to the right, to scan what I could of the living room.

"No." He asnwered. His stance changed from relaxed to resolute, in an instant. What was he hiding?

"Mind if I take a look?" I said between clenched teeth.

He stood firm, his huge frame, filling the doorway. "Yes I do mind, Cullen."

"Is. She. Here?!" I demanded again, almost growling. Automatically my fists balled at my sides, the tension building in my arms, ready to fight. Ready to fight for what was mine. For the woman I loved and cherished.

I took one step forward, bringing us uncomfortably close to each other. I eye-balled him, not letting our difference in height, deter me. He had the advantage over me, yet I had the advantage of pent up frustration and anger.

He reached up an outstretched hand, between us, to halt me.

"Bella's not here, I said. What the hell is going on Cullen?" His voice was steady.

"What time did you see her last?" His face fell at the realization, that I knew they had been together. Then his expression changed again. To one of concern.

"We had lunch at the diner. She dropped me off here about two. What the hell is going on, Cullen? What's happened?" He demanded.

"I was hoping that you would know the answer to that question. Why d'you think I'm here? Not out of choice that's for sure." I barked. He took half a step back. That slight movement was my cue to step forward again. I shoulder barged him, knocking him off balance and pushed my way forward to the living room.

"What the hell, Cullen?!" He shouted, as I stood just inside the living room doorway, giving me an easy view of the small room. No one was there.

"Where is she?!" I shouted, turning around to face him square on, again.

The house was on one level, so the idea of searching every room was not going to deter me, by any means. I reached out with my arm pushing him to one side again. I was met with little resistance, as I made my way down the hallway opening a door on my right first. The bathroom. the door on my left. The bedroom. Again empty. I turned on my heel and paced back to where he stood, obviously perplexed at my actions.

"Are you satisfied?! I said she wasn't here!" He stood with his arms outstretched, palms up, as a sign of his honesty.

"Then where is she?!" I bellowed in his face. I shut my eyes for a moment to concentrate on breathing. I didn't want to calm down right now but if Black really didn't have anything to do with Bella's disappearance then maybe he might have an idea as to where she might be. I wasn't going to get any answers out of him if he were unconsious right now.

"So, she's not at home?" He asked, frowning.

"No! Why do you think I' m here?!" I answered, becoming more irritated with his questions.

"Hold on!" He began, putting his hands up again, to halt my advance on him. "When was the last time you had contact with Bella?"

"I got a message sometime after twelve, to say that she'd arrived in Forks. Since then, nothing." I replied, desparately trying to keep my voice steady. I had reached the point now, that I wanted to ring the Police.

He reached for his jacket, on the coat stand behind him. His eyes were still fixed on my face.

"Where have you searched?" He asked, fishing a set of keys out of his jacket pocket.

"I've been through town. There's no sign of her truck." I answered, calming down somewhat. He had told the truth. I could tell by the look on his face that he was now very concerned.

"Have you rung the Police?" He asked as he put on his hacket.

"Not yet. I thought I would do my own search first, to give me some idea as to where she had been and who might have seen her." I explained.

"Okay, I'll take my bike and take a look along the road back to 're a couple of bends that catch drivers out" He didn't need to embelish his thoughts. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

He looked at me pointedly. "Ring the Police, now. Too much time has already passed." He was right. If she was hurt, then the clock was ticking, against her.

We left the house, swiftly. By the time I was back in my car and dialing the Police station direct, he was already on his bike, negotiating the gravel drive. He pulled up next to the open driver's door.

"What did they say?" He asked as he straddled the bike.

"They want to meet me at the house, to get details." I answered, annoyed. I wanted to go and look for her, not go back to the house.

"Okay, then. Here give me your phone." I handed it to him without hesitation. He punched his number into it and pressed the dial button. His phone rang in his pocket.

He ended the call on my phone and handed it back to me. "I have your number now. I'll ring if I find anything." He nodded and started up the bike. I nodded in reply, relieved that I now had help in my search for Bella, albeit from an unexpected source..

I watched in my rearview mirror, as he drove off down the road, heading for town. I brought the car to life and backed up, to pull back onto the road. By the time I had reached Jacob's bike, parked up at the first dangerous bend, he was already in the wooded area scanning it with a flashlight. Tempted as I was, to stop and help in his search, I had to get back to the house ready for when the Police arrived. I would be able to resume my search, after they'd gone. Where I was supposed to look next eluded me.

I had no further clues.

I rang Rose and updated her on the situation.

"Are the Police there yet?" She asked, sounding a little more anxious than the last time we had spoken.

"No. I don't suppose they will view this as we do. She's an adult after all, and therefore free to come and go as she pleases. I'll just have to convince them, that this is totally out of character for her." I stood at the large window in the living room, looking out at the now darkened sky.

"Edward, you don't suppose..." I cut her off.

"Rose enough thoughts have been going through my mind the last couple of hours. Just hurry up and get here. The more people we have down here, the more area can be covered." I pleaded.

"Yes, of course Edward. We'll be there as soon as we can. Just stay in contact." She encouraged. I shut my phone, not wanting to have the line busy, if Bella were trying to contact me.

The door bell chiming, made me jump. I was wound up like a spring at the moment. The sooner I was able to get back out to look for her, the better. The feeling of being useless was not something I was familiar with. Managing to keep my head in a crisis, was something that I was used too. Dealing with emergemcies was part and parcel of my job. But this was different because this situation centered on Bella. The most important person in my life.

I answered the door, ushering two uniformed Police Officers, into the living room. They quickly scanned the hallway and the living room as they entered, no doubt to assertain if there had been some sort of domestic situation, that might have caused Bella's disappearence. I was all too aware, of the line of questioning that these Officers would take.

I motioned for them to take a seat. Only one did. I looked at the other Officer, realising that all he wanted to do was have a good look around the other rooms in the house.

"I suppose you want to have a look around?" I began, as I sat down, gesturing with my hand, in the general direction of the living room door. "Be my guest. I doubt if Bella even got as far as the house. When I arrived, there was no sign that she had even stopped to make a cup of coffee or unpack her weekend bag." I added, without being prompted.

The Officer sitting opposite me looked at me a little surprised, and then turned to his collegue and nodded for him to go ahead.

"So, Mr Cullen. I have the details that you gave over the phone. I just need to have some further questions answered, before we can make a decision as to how to proceed." He nodded to me and I nodded back.

You are Edward Cullen. Is that correct?" He began writing in his note book.

"Yes."

"Is there anyone else in the house, at the moment?" He asked, with his head down.

"No."

"What time did you arrive here, Mr Cullen?" Finally, he looked up at me.

"About four o'clock."

"And you travelled from?" His head was down again.

"Seattle. I work in Seattle." I answered, irritation in my tone.

"And what is your occupation?" He continued writing.

"I'm a surgeon at Northwest." I pinched the bridge of my nose, as I willed this interview to be over.

"So, this is the family home?" He looked up again and nodded.

"Yes, at the weekends and holidays."

"What does Miss Swan do for a living?" He asked, with his pen poised.

"She's currently employed as the family cook."

"Currently, meaning that she will not hold this position for much longer?" He narrowed his eyes.

"We're engaged to be married. When, if not before, we're married, she will no longer be cooking for my family." I huffed.

He raised an eyebrow, as he continued to write.

"How long have you been engaged?" He asked, not looking up.

"Since wedding is planned for next June." I knew that would his next question.

"Do you have a recent photograph?" He finally looked up again

"Yes." I pulled out my wallet and took out one of the small pictures, I'd asked mom to print off for me, on the day we got engaged. "Here, this should do." I said, handing it over to him. "It was taken on the day of our engagement." I added. He took the picture from me and looked at it for a moment.

The other Officer walked back into the living room. The two men nodded at each other. As I thought, there was nothing that had aroused his suspicions.

"When can we start a search?" I asked, rubbing my temples in frustration at the lack of activity. The clock was still ticking, against her.

"Well, Mr Cullen. Miss Swan hasn't been missing for twenty four hours, as yet. I would have to speak to my superiors before organising a search party. Besides it's dark now, so nothing would happen until daylight."He said, almost robotically.

"But, what if she's hurt?" I pleaded, perched on the edge of the seat.

"Mr Cullen, I do understand that you're feeling very anxious right now, but we really cannot do anything until the morning." He insisted.

I stood up and walked over to the window, looking out into the darkness. Bella was out there.

Somewhere. Possibly alone. I had to put any thoughts of another person being involved in her disappearance, out of my head, before it drove me mad.

And I needed to go and look for her. I turned back to face the Officers, who were already getting ready to leave.

"If you have any contact from Miss Swan, please contact me at the station." The first Officer requested.

"Yes, of course." I answered, still irritated. I walked with them to the front door. As I watched them leave in the patrol car, my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket, checking the caller ID. I didn't recognise the number. It had to be Jacob. I immediately answered the call.

"Have you found her?" I asked hurriedly.

"No. Nothing. I searched all the areas, but didn't find anything. There was an abandonded car though. I've rung the Police about it." He answered, sounding defeated.

"I saw that car there, earlier. Do you think it may have sometihing to do with Bella missing?" Hope that it might be a led, began to rise within me.

"I don't know Edward. People don't usually leave their cars in a place like that. It could just be that the person ran out of gas or something. I didn't check the car out. I thought it best for the Police to do that." He explained.

"Okay. So, where do you think we can look next?" I asked, wanting to leave immediately.

"I think it would be a good idea to start looking on your side of town. It would be good if we had another person to help." He said, reflectively.

"Emmett and Rose should be here soon. Come over to the house. We'll wait till they get here and then we can work out where we're going to search." I stated.

"Okay, I'm on my way." I cheked my phone once again, for either a message or a missed call from Bella. Nothing. My head was beginning to hurt. As I rubbed my temples, I realised that I hadn't eaten anything since before I left Seattle. I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge to see what Angela had left us for the weekend. I pulled out some ham and cheese and quickly made a sandwich and poured myself a glass of milk. That would be enough to stave off the hunger pangs and keep the headaches at bay. I needed to have a clear head in order to think straight and keep focused. It would probably, turn out to be a long night.

Rose and Emmett arrived.

"Edward!" Emmett's voice boomed from the hallway.

"In the kitchen!" I replied.

As they walked through the doorway, Rose came over to where I was standing. She placed one arm around my shoulder, pulling me towards her and kissed my cheek. She pulled back from me and looked into my face.

"Are you okay?" She asked, quietly.

I nodded, unable to speak for a moment. The overwhelming feeling, of finally having family members at my side to comfort me, was just too much. Emmett came over to me and pulled me into a hug.

As he released his grasp, I brought them up to date with details of the Police Officer's visit to the house and that Jacob had been out searching some of the wooded areas, close to the main road.

"When he gets here, we'll get organised. Where's the map of the area?" Emmett asked.

"There should be one in dad's office." I replied. Emmett immediately left the kitchen and made his way to the office.

Rose busied herself making some more sandwiches and putting on a pot of coffee, ready for Jacob's arrival. We would all need to eat and drink before we set out to begin our search. Rose agreed that she would stay at the house, to take any phone calls that may come from the Police or if by any chance, Bella. She also agreed to ring mom and explain the evening's events. She thought that it would be a good idea if they made their way down to Forks, so that dad could help with the search, in the morning.

Jacob arrived sometime later as Emmett and I were deciding on where to start the search. The large map of the area, was spread out across the breakfast table. Until this moment, I hadn't realised how vast the forest was.

"Three people searching, won't be enough." Jacob stated. He took out his phone and immediately rang his friend, Sam, from the reservation. He quickly explained the siutuation to his friend and was assured that they would get together as many men as possible to help with the search. I could hardly believe that with all the animosity between Jacob and myself, this was now firmly set to one side in order to make sure that Bella was found. I couldn't begin to think that there was more to their relationship than just friendship, at the moment. Finding her safe and sound, was the most important thing, on all of our minds.

Rose made sure that by the time the six extra men arrived, some twenty minutes later, more food was prepared and another pot of coffee was brewing.

We drew up our search plan, leaving Jacob and his friends to dictate, as to the areas, that we should begin our search. After all, they had lived in this area all of their lives and therefore had far greater knowledge of the forests, than Emmett and I did. I had finally begun to settle my emotions into emergency mode, feeling a lot calmer, now that we were finally going to do something, rather than sit around and wait for daybreak.

Having eaten and drained the coffee pot, we armed ourselves with maps, flashlights, spare batteries and fully charged phones. We exchanged phone numbers, between us, quickly, before leaving the house. As Emmett and I said goodbye to Rose, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that I had not contacted Alice. She wouldn't have reacted well, to the whole situation. Rose had been a tower of strength and I knew that she would remain calm enough to handle things at the house.

With five of us, piled into Emmett's jeep and the rest in Sam's car, we headed out to our starting point, to begin our search for Bella.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **So, Edward and Jacob are working together in their search for Bella. I wonder how successful they will be and how much longer Edward will hold it all together. While I construct the next chapter, you know what you want to do, show me how much you love this story and REVIEW!!! Take care.

.


	52. Chapter 52

**Author's note; **Now we turn our attention back to Bella. All is explained in this chapter. Some of you, will no doubt say, 'I knew it was him' . Enjoy.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight. Cook Wanted IS mine.

**COOK WANTED **

Later that night........somewhere in the forest

I woke up, feeling as though I had a hangover. My head was throbbing and my body felt stiff, as I stretched out on the bed. I couldn't move my left arm from it's position, above my head. And then I registered the cold metal around my wrist. He had handcuffed me to the bedstead, presumably, while I was asleep. I breathed out in anger and shuffled up the bed as best I could, curling myself up into a ball, close to the bedhead.

I tried to clear my head and focus, struggling to remember, how I had arrived at this point. Wherever _here _was. The wrought iron bed was rusty and a little unsteady when I moved about. The mattress was lumpy and hard. I did have the luxury of a fairly clean sheet under me, but nothing more. The room was empty other than the bed and an old wooden chair. The only source of light, came from the room next door. The door was slightly ajar. From where I sat, I could only see a pair of jean covered legs and boot clad feet, propped up on a small coffee table. He wasn't moving. I could only assume that he was asleep.

I looked over to the only window in the room. An old blanket had been haphazardly draped over the curtain rail, almost completely blocking the outside world from my view.

The one small area of the window not concealed, told me all the information I needed, right now. It was very dark outside. I must have been here for a few hours. I began to piece together the last hours since I had been abducted.

_When he dragged me from the truck, he steadied me, before he held my arm, firmly._

_"We're going for a little walk now, Bella. The air will do us some good." He said cheerily. He was like a Jekyl and Hyde character. I didn't answer him, for fear of his mood changing towards me._

_I dutifully followed him. I had no choice, he was holding on to me, tightly. The walk wasn't exactly a walk in the park. I stumbled a few times, but didn't hit the ground. His firm grasp on me, prevented that from happening. As we made our way along a small trail, I could see enough of the ground to avoid tripping over the larger roots and stones, that were the obstacles of this journey._

_I had no idea as to how long we had walked, but we finally stopped. From what I could see, we were now standing in some sort of a clearing. The trail had come to an end and there was now nothing but grass under my feet. We stood still for a moment. I wasn't sure if we were still for my benefit or if there was a problem ahead. There was no sound, apart from the breeze moving through the trees and the sound of birds chirping. I welcomed the time that we stood silent. It allowed me to catch my breath and gather my thoughts a little._

_"Well, Bella." He began, letting go of my arm. "We've arrived, at a less than salubrious little place, I'm afraid. No room service here, but I have made sure that we have the necessary provisions for our stay. Are you ready?" He asked, in his cheery yet sarcastic tone._

_I simply nodded in reply._

_He took hold of my arm again. "Come on then, let's get settled for the night, shall we?" He pulled on my arm, indicating that I should move. _

_I did. _

_Our pace was less urgent this time as he guided me across the expanse, of calf length grass._

_He stopped briefly, making me halt and let go of my arm. He fiddled with a key and then I heard a door open, just in front of me. Taking my arm again, he pulled me into a building. I could hear that the wooden floor boards creak, as we entered. When I was just a few steps into the room, he locked the door behind us._

_"You can take the blindfold off now, Bella." I did so without any hesitation. _

_I blinked, to allow my eyes to adjust to the half light, that was in the room. He was in the process of lighting a row of large Church candles, set up on the shelf above the fireplace. Scanning the room, I noted that there was just an old comfy chair and low coffee table, next to a closed door. The windows were blanked out with blankets draped across the curtain rails. In the far corner was an old fashioned range, with a cardboard box perched on it. I could see that the box was packed with tins and packets. There was a deep butler's sink, next to the range with a small stack of mugs, bowls and an old fashioned kettle._

_He took my arm again, with a firm grip and pulled me towards the internal door. As he opened the door I could see a bed and a chair in the room. I stiffened a little wondering what was going to happen to me next. Up to this point, he hadn't actually hurt me. Yes, he had taken me against my will and dragged me through the forest to this shack, but he hadn't physically hurt me. Was this all about to change?_

_"Come on, Bella!" He said gruffly, tugging on my arm. "Get in here, now!" I could only assume it was my hesitation and reluctance to do what he wanted me to do, that was causing his change of mood._

_I relaxed my stance slightly and took a step forward. "That's it." He began, in a softer, encouraging tone. "I'm not going to hurt you. Unless you don't co-operate, that this." I took these words as a warning and looked at him with narrowed eyes._

_"Bella, Bella. What a fiesty thing you are." He chided in a mocking tone. He pulled at my arm again and this time I moved forward into the room. He led me over to the bed._

_"Sit down then." He instructed. I did so, perching myself on the edge of the mattress, as far away from him as possible. My breathing began to become a little erratic, from the fear that was building up in me, again._

_He grinned at me. "I think you could do with a drink, don't you? I'll go and get you a bottle of water." He sneered. " Don't Move!" He said slowly, in a menacing tone. I looked at him with wide eyes as his face closed in on mine. I stopped breathing all together at that point, fearful of what would happen next. I stayed very still as he moved away from me and made his way back into the other room. I heard him move around, his footsteps resounding in the room. After a moment he walked back to the bedroom, with an open bottle of water, in his hand._

_"Here." He said, holding the bottle out towards me. I took it, grateful that I would now be able to ease the dry tension in my throat. The water felt good, as it quelled my thirst. I gasped at the sensation of the liquid passing down my body. As I pulled the bottle away from my mouth, he took it from me and skrewed the cap back on._

_"There, Bella. I wouldn't want you to dehydrate, would I? I don't think Edward would forgive me if anything happened to you." He looked at me pointedly and smirked._

_"But of course it's a little late for that now, isn't it? As far as he's concerned the worst has happened to you." He took one step forward, stopping inches from my knees._

_His movement made me lean away from him. He leaned in towards me, balancing on his hands, either side of my thighs. His face only a matter of inches away, from mine._

_"I wonder how Edward is feeling right now? His beloved Bella, lost." He reached his hand up to my face, but didn't touch me. I flinched at his movement, leaning back a little more, propping myself up on my elbows._

_"Bella, Bella, Bella." He sighed. "You know, you really are rather a lovely creature. The pictures in the papers didn't do you justice." His fingers finally touched my cheek. I shuddered, closing my eyes. For some illogical reason, I felt that if I shut my eyes, then whatever was going to happen next, would somehow just be a bad dream. As long as I kept my eyes shut._

_I felt his fingers stroke my cheek and then trace down the side of my neck. I gasped slightly, as his fingers reached the neckline of my t-shirt and turned my head to one side, away from him._

_"Yes, you are actually quite beautiful, Bella. Edward is a very lucky man. Truly falling in love, is not something that happens every day." Suddenly his fingers were gone._

_I opened my eyes, turning my head towards him, definantly. He was looking at me intently, smirking again._

_A sudden wave of tiredness hit me. My eyelids became very heavy and I was finding it hard to focus on his face. His smirk turned into a smile as I felt my body go numb and fall back against the mattress._

I checked my clothing for any signs, that they had been interfered with. I shut my eyes, relief washing over me that everything was still intact. At least I could rule out the fact that he hadn't taken advantage of me, during my drug induced sleep.

I sat quietly on the bed, starring at the outstretched legs resting on the coffee table in the other room. I still hadn't worked out, who he was. But he certainly knew who I was and who Edward was. The only conclusion I could arrive at, was that he had kidnapped me in order to gain a ransom, in exchange for my safe return to the family. I wondered how long he had been following me, watching me and planning this whole thing. No doubt the fact that I was now able to travel independently again, meant that I was an easy target. If I got out of this situation unharmed, I would never again take the view, that being driven around by a chauffer, was a hinderence to my independence. I certainly wasn't going anywhere right now and certainly not for the foreseeable future.

I sat quietly, keeping my eyes trained on the next room. I was extremely thirsty. The only bottle of water that was in the room was the one that he had given me hours ago.

I would not be drinking from _that_ bottle.

Frustration of my situation built up in me. A lump in my throat formed and my chest felt tight. The only way to relieve the tension building in me, was to allow myself to cry.

I quietly sobbed, pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging them to me with my one free arm.

I tried to visualize Edward and what he might be doing, at this moment in time. I was sure that he would be looking for me. But he couldn't do that on his own. Would the Police allow him to search with them or would he be told to stay at home. A part of me wanted him to find me and the other part realised the danger he would be in. This man had a gun. The Police were the only people who would be able to deal with this situation safely. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Certainly not people I didn't even know, but more importantly, no-one I did know and love.

As my sobs subsided, I took a couple of deep breaths, to calm myself. My breath caught as I heard a phone ring. It wasn't my phone; the ringtone was different.

He suddenly jumped at the sound, bringing his legs down from the coffee table. He mumbled to himself as the phone continued to ring.

"Hello!" He said gruffly, his voice thick with sleep.

"Hi, honey." His tone softend, as he sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. I could see his profile clearly. He trained his attention on the call and didn't look round to see if I had been woken up by the noise.

"Yeah, I only got here a little while ago. I was going to ring you once I had unpacked. Oh, the flight was good." How easy it was for him to lie.

"I wish you were here too, honey. Yeah, it's going to be pretty boring without you. Umm especially the nights." He chuckled.

"I'm not too sure, a couple of days at the most." He sighed heavily, raking his fingers through his hair.

"I have to do this. You know how important this job is to me." His tone changed. He sounded impatient.

"Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do! This job is important, I told you that." He said, straining to control the pitch of his voice.

"Don't start with the crying shit! It won't work." He said, impatiently.

"I'm getting tired of this. You're really starting to piss me off now. There are things that I have to do and this is one of them." He huffed, loudly.

"I'm going to hang up now. I'll ring _you_ when I'm done here. Don't call me again." Suddenly the conversation was over. He snapped the phone shut.

I sat very still, shutting my eyes again. I heard him stand and make his way into the bedroom. He stood still for a moment and then his footsteps came closer.

I began to shake. The thought of him being angry and taking that anger out on me, caused fresh tears to roll down my cheeks. I could hear him breathing, close to me.

I kept my eyes firmly shut. I didn't want to see his angry face.

"What the hell are you crying for?" He bellowed at me. I jumped at his fierce tone. "I'll be glad when this is all over. I thought you were stronger than this, Bella. I told you, I'm not gonna hurt you. But if you keep pushing me like this, so help me..." His voice trailed off.

I immediately quelled my sobs. I opened my eyes and glared at him. He was standing right next to me, his hands balled into fists.

"Believe me. You're going to regret this" I said, in as strong a voice as I could muster. "Whatever the reason is, your doing this, you won't get away with it. Edward will find me and you will wish you hadn't been born." I finally yelled.

He stood still for a moment, looking a little shocked at my outburst. Then within seconds the smirk was back on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"My God! Has Edward ever seen this side of you, I wonder? Dear sweet, gentle Bella. I don't suppose he's ever made you angry, has he? Well you haven't been together for very long. I'm sure given time, you will get angry with him. He isn't perfect you know. Not by any means." He said, sarcastically.

"I'm quite aware of that!" I spat back at him. The sudden rush of anger in me was making me feel fearless.

"Woah, easy Bella!" He raised his hands, as if in surrender. "I might just decide that I like you, a little too much." He reached forward and touched my hair, gently. I jerked my head away from him.

"You are quite something, Bella. If you're not careful, I might take _you_ with me to South America instead of the other whiney bitch. Now _that_ would really hurt Edward, don't you think?" His tone sounded almost triumphant.

"If you do that, then you won't get the ransom money." I said, sharply.

"Who said anything about a ransom, Bella? Certainly not me. I think your brain is working overtime. I haven't asked for any ransom. Just knowing that Edward is suffering is enough for me. It just depends _how_ much, I want him to suffer. Let me think. I suffered for three days because of your precious Edward. I don't know if that's long enough for him. Personally I'm beginning to think that eternity wouldn't be long enough for him." He replied, with relish.

"You must be really sick, to be doing this." I held his gaze as I spoke.

"Far from it, Bella. I'm not sick at all. I know exactly what I'm doing. He plays god with other people's lives, everyday. I demand justice for what he did. I had to take away someone precious to him, just like he took the most precious thing away from me. Seems fair, don't you think, Bella?" He asked, inclining his head to one side.

"What on earth did he do, that deserves this kind of justice?" I looked at him, not lossing my resolve.

"Well, you see, Bella. He allowed the one person that I loved more than anyone else, to die. He doesn't deserve to be happy. He screwed up, big time, and now he's going to suffer for it. If he had saved her, we wouldn't be here now. So, you can thank your precious Edward, for fucking up and putting you in this situation." He spat back angrily.

I shut my eyes again, trying to process everything that he had said. I could understand his anger, if someone he loved had died in Edward's care, but I could not understand the way that he was going about getting his revenge.

"You obviously loved her very much." I stated quietly, opening my eyes again.

"You have no idea. Your fiesty side, reminds me of her. She _should_ have lived, Bella. We would be together now, if she had lived." He said, thoughtfully.

"What about the girl you were talking too? Don't you lover her?" I asked, hoping to maintain the calm atmosphere.

"Oh, Bella. Please." He chided. "She was just a means to an end. I had to get to know her in order to get information about Edward and who he was with, these days. You know before you came along, I was beginning to think that he would never fall for another woman after Tanya did the dirty on him. God, she was easy to win over. That did a pretty good job of breaking his heart. Fuck, she was good in bed. The look on his face when he came home that day, was priceless." He smiled to himself, at the memory.

"You did that?!" I was slowly beginning to put all the pieces together.

"Yep, that was me. Why should he have all the fun, after what he did to me?" He spat.

"You're...you're James!" I breathed. The pieces, finally coming together. Jessica's James.

"My, my! I thought you might have guessed that a little earlier. Yes, I'm James." He replied, proudly.

"What are you going to do with me?" Panic was beginning to take hold of me, once again.

"Well, a number of things went through my mind, I can tell you. Tanya was easy. She enjoyed having a good time just a little too much. She was easy to follow. Always in one night club or another. Liked her drink a little too much. That was her downfall." He stopped for a moment, grinning.

"I was quite happy when she broke his heart. He was on his own for quite a while. I would have left things alone, had he not fallen for you. When Jess said that he had fallen for the cook, it meant that my work was not over. You were not like Tanya. Not in the least. Always working and staying at the house. Even when you did go out and about, around Seattle, you were being driven around. God, it was like you had your own personal bodyguard. Very frustrating." He mused.

"I couldn't believe it when Jess told me that you two had got engaged. It was game on again. All I had to wait for, was the right time and the right place. Believe it or not I'm a very patient man, Bella." He smirked.

"What happened to her?" I whispered, looking down at the floor.

"Victoria? She was involved in a car crash. She was very badly injured. She was in ICU for three days. They were the longest days of my life." He replied, quietly.

"I'm sure he did everything he could." I whispered, looking up at him, again.

"No, Bella, your wrong." He began, his tone insistant. "He didn't do enough! She shouldn't have died. She was too young, too beautiful. _He_ should have saved her. But he didn't." He shook his head and began to back away from the bed.

"No more questions. I need time to think. Shut up now. Not a word, do you understand?!" He said, harshly, as he brought his hands up to his head and rubbed his temples for a moment.

I nodded, but didn't take my eyes away from his face.

"I'm going to make us something to eat." He walked into the other room as he spoke.

I didn't take the chance to say that I wasn't hungry. All I wanted was something to drink. But I kept my mouth shut, as he had instructed. There was no point in making him angry. All I could hope for, was that soon someone would find me and I would be taken out of this situation.

He made very little noise as he moved around the room next door. I could only catch glimpses of him as he walked around. As the smell of food wafted toward the bedroom my stomach began to rumble. I was obviously hungry, my body told me so. I stretched out on the bed a little, to relax my muscles and rubbed my shackled arm. A while later he returned to the bedroom. He was carrying a small tray with a large mug and a slice of bread placed on it.

"I've warmed up some soup for you, Bella." He said calmly as he placed the tray on an flat part of the mattress, close to my legs.

"Be careful. It's wouldn't want to burn your tongue now, would you?" He smirked.

He stood silently for a moment. It wasn't sure if he was waiting for me to say something. I wasn't about too. I picked up the mug of soup, by the handle and blew on the hot liquid, before putting the mug to my lips. It smelt good. And then I stopped, suspicious of why he was watching me.

"What?! Have you drugged this as well?" I asked, hesitating for a moment. The mug, inches from my mouth.

"Now, now. Bella. You're not very trusting are you?" He chided, smirking.

"Why should I trust you after what you've done?" I retorted. I was beginning to get angry with him again.

"You have a valid point, Bella. I promise you, the soup isn't drugged." He stepped forward and took the mug from me.

"Look, I'll show you that's it's safe." He took a large sip from the mug and handed it back to me.

"There. It's not drugged. Now, finish it before it gets cold. You need to drink it warm, to keep you warm over night. There's no heating here, remember?" He encouraged. He was starting to sound like he actually cared.

I took the mug from him and without a word, took a sip of the soup. It immediately eased the dryness in my throat. I set it down on the tray and broke a piece of bread off and dipped it into the mug. As I popped the soup soaked bread into my mouth, he turned and left the room, presumably happy that I was eating. I continued to dip pieces of bread into the mug until the bread was gone. I then picked up the mug and finished what was left of the soup. I felt so much better. My head didn't feel so heavy; it had cleared somewhat.

I sat up by the bedhead again and made sure that I could keep him in my sights. He had made himself something to eat and was sitting in the old comfy chair again.

"What will you do, if we're found?" I asked casually. I was feeling very brave. Fear was not uppermost in my mind at that moment

"We won't be found, Bella. We're miles away from the main road and the town. This shack hasn't been used for a long time now. We could actually be here for more than three days. That would be interesting, don't you think?" He said in a mocking tone.

I leaned back on the cold metal bedstead. Did he really think that Edward would not try to find me? Or was that what he was hoping for? A confrontation with Edward.

As I thought about Edward, my resolve grew stronger. Of course he would find me and he would deal with James. James needed to be locked up. Poor Jessica really didn't know who she was getting involved with, when she met him. If she loved him as much as she said she did, then she was going to be bitterly dissapointed and heartbroken.

Even Tanya had been used by him. I couldn't feel sorry for her, because she had made the choice to sleep with him, even though she was engaged to Edward. She no doubt thought, as Jessica does, that James was actually in love with her. He had worked all of this out very well. I had to agree with him, when he said that he was a patient man. Patient, but ever so slightly mad.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I watched as he set the phone on the coffee table and sat there looking at it, smiling to himself.

"Well, Bella. It seems that your Edward hasn't forgotten about you. I can just imagine him pacing around, feeling helpless and not in control. I really do hope he's suffering, right now. Just as I did." He looked over to me, his face set hard. He then looked back down at the phone in front of him.

"Yes, I think a few more days of your absence, will bring him to his knees. You know, the idea of taking you with me to South America, is sounding really good right now. I'm quite sure that once you get to know me a little better, Bella, you'll begin to like me." He turned his head towards the open doorway and smiled at me, menacingly.

As the phone rang, my tears began to fall again. I knew that Edward was looking for me and somehow, I knew, that he would find me.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Okay readers! You know what you've got to do now. Hit that little green box below and tell me what you think. I know that most of you really didn't have any idea, as to who Bella's kidnapper was. Two of you did guess. Well done. So, while I put together the next chapter of Edward and Jacob working together to find Bella, you need to REVIEW!! Take care.


	53. Chapter 53

**Author's note; **Many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. You are all wonderful and have finally, after 52 chapters brought my total reviews for this story to over 500. A big THANK YOU to everyone. This chapter is in Edward's POV. Let's join them back in their search, shall we?! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight. I don't have the talent.

**COOK WANTED **

Even later, that night

EPOV

We had been searching for nearly three hours and had drawn a complete blank. I stared aimlessly around me, the torch catching the reflection of eyes, belonging to forest creatures, causing them to freeze for a second and then scatter for cover. My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking me out of my deflated state of mind. It was a message from Jacob to say that we would be re-grouping, back at our starting point.

I huffed in frustration looking at the message on the small screen. It felt like we were giving up. I just wanted to carry on with the search. But I had agreed, that when Jacob messaged everyone, we would return to the cars.

As I trudged through the mass of forest ferns, I met up with Emmett, on his way back, from the area he'd been searching.

I looked over to him, only just able to see his face in the dim light, that the torch cast, as I trained it on the ground before us.

"Did you find anything, Emmett?" It was hard to keep my voice from shaking. I needed to hear that he had found something. Anything.

His face told me what I didn't want to know, before he even opened his mouth.

He shook his head looking defeated. "No, not a thing. It could just be that we're looking in the wrong area." He rested a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe one of the others found something." He added, with renewed hope in his tone.

"If they had, we would have got a message, Emmett." I stated, bluntly.

He nodded, patting me on the shoulder, keeping in step with me as we made our way back to the jeep.

We heard other sets of footsteps, trudging along the forest floor, as we neared the small clearing, that was our meeting point.

Jacob and Seth, the youngest member of this search party, arrived at the same time as we did.

"I take it from the silence, that you didn't find any clues?" I asked, looking over to Jacob.

"No, but that doesn't mean that she isn't out there. Once the others are back we'll decide on the next area that we'll search." He looked behind him, shining his torch over to an area, from where Sam and Quil emerged.

Sam stood next to Jacob and spoke in a low voice, but not low enough.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she went back to Seattle. Maybe Edward's not telling us something. For all we know they had an argument or something." I saw red.

I lunged forward, at his words and stood in front of him, square on. "You know nothing about us." I spat, through clenched teeth. My hands balled into fists, an instantaneous reaction to his words. "We didn't have an argument. We were both looking forward to having some quiet time down here." I finished and set my jaw firm. I noticed, in my peripheral vision, Jacob's head lower at my words.

I ignored Jacob's reaction. I wasn't concerned, how _he_ felt, right now. Bella was _my_ finacee. The woman_ I _was going to marry and have a family with. She was my whole life and I wanted her back at my side. If _we_ couldn't find her, then _I _would spend the rest of my life looking for her, if I had too.

"Bella is here, somewhere I can feel that she is. Someone has taken her and we have got to find her, sooner rather than later. If anything happens to her...." Emmett grabbed my shoulder, stopping me from finishing my sentence.

Emmett's grasp helped me to calm down. I took a deep breath, before continuing to speak. "If any of you want to go home, then that's fine with me. You don't know Bella. Jacob asked you to help and I appreciate that you did come out tonight, to help with the search. But if you feel that this is a lost cause, then by all means go home. If I have to, I will do this on my own." I stood still for a moment to wait for some kind of reaction, even if it was, that all of them would walk away and go back to their beds.

"We're not going anywhere, Edward." Jacob responded, resolutely, looking over at Sam and the others.

"We will carry on searching. We will find her. We're not giving up yet, are we Sam?" He looked at Sam pointedly. Sam responded by shaking his head and looking down at the ground, to avoid my hard stare. He had put Sam firmly in his place and I silently thanked God that Jacob thought as much of Bella as he did; that he would not give up on her.

The silence at that moment was deafening. Suddenly Emmett reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

"Rose." He breathed. "Is there any news? Yep, I'm listening" I watched him intently as he listened to Rose. I tried to read his face but he showed no emotion.

Finally he looked up at me, with a raised eyebrow. There was something important to share ."Okay. Thanks babe." He closed his phone and looked into my expectant face.

"The Police rang the house a few minutes ago. They've traced the abandoned car, that Jacob reported, to a hire company. They rented it out to a man called James Damon. Does that name mean anything to you, Edward?" He pleaded.

I stood silent for a moment, trying to think of any events that had occurred, that could be linked with that name. Nothing. The name meant nothing to me. It didn't stir any memories in me, whatsoever. I shook my head at Emmett, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Well, the Police were given a fairly good description of the man. Apparently he was quite forward with the receptionist, at the car hire office. She got a good look at him. They're checking out their files now, to see if anything matches with him." He said, with an optimistic tone.

"But they're still not going to help us search." I stated, flatly, knowing full well what the answer would be.

Emmett didn't answer me. He turned his attention to Jacob. "So, where d'you think we should look next?" He asked deliberately, pulling out his map and spreading it out across the bonnet of his jeep. Jacob walked over to him shining his torch onto the map. Emmett's enthusiasm caught my sullen mood unawares and I immediately turned to join them. Renewed hope was building up in me, once again. If Emmett had not been involved with the search, I was sure that I would be screaming from pure frustration, by now.

Jacob ran his index finger over another area, this time to the east, close to a stream that meandered its way through the forest.

"We could take sections of this area." He began, as everyone gathered around to have a look, at the area he was pointing to.

"Hey!" Seth interrupted, a sudden thought hitting him. "Isn't that the area with a trail, leading up to Goat Rocks. There used to be a small shack half way up. I think hunters used to use it, when they got stuck out there at night or if the snows arrived early. I remember Sam taking me there, years ago, on one of our hunting trips. You remember, don't you Sam?" Seth looked at Sam with wide, expectant eyes. His hope was tangible.

"I shouldn't think it'll be there anymore. It was rather unsafe then. They've probably taken it down, by now." Sam replied, matter of factly.

"You think?" Seth asked, sadly. Sam simply nodded at him.

"Well anyway, there's no harm in checking the trail." Jacob said, breaking the silence that had once again befallen us. "It runs straight through this section, so some of us can search the area to the north of the stream, others take the south and we have enough to search the trail itself." Jacob said, decidedly.

He separated us into three groups. I was assigned with Emmett and Quil, to take the southern area, Jacob, Seth and Paul would head up the trail and Sam, Embry and Keegan, would take the northern area. We all nodded in response to our allotted assignments, piled into the two vehicles and made our way over to the next meeting area. Within twenty minutes, we were out of the cars and stood for a moment preparing ourselves for the next leg of the search.

Once again the eerie silence surrounded us as we separated and walked off towards our allotted search areas. An hour into the search, my legs were beginning to feel shaky from trudging through forest vegitation, for nearly four hours. The vibration of my phone, halted me in my tracks. Rose had messaged me to say that mom and dad had arrived in Forks. Dad wanted to know if he could join the search. I messaged back to say that we were already searching another section. The best place for dad right now, was to stay at the house. If we needed him for any reason, someone would ring.

My stomach churned at the thought of something happening to Bella, that would require the attendance of dad and his medical bag.

I flashed my torch a distance, in front of Emmett's feet to indicate that I needed his attention. When I caught up to him I quietly relayed Rose's message. He nodded pensively.

For a part of the search I didn't need to use the torch. The full moon was so bright that it actually afforded me considerable light, helping to make the torch batteries, last longer.

We continued searching for another half an hour before I got a message. It was from Jacob. They had found Bella's truck! I couldn't believe the message at first. I had to read it again, before I sent Emmett and Quil messages to meet up with me. It was at least ten minutes before we met up and headed towards the place where Jacob and the others had found the truck.

I couldn't get there fast enough. I wanted to run but the vegitation slowed me down to what felt like a snails pace. My heart was beating so fast at the thought of seeing the truck. The first tangible evidence that Bella was still around here, somewhere. My feeelings were right. She was close by. Surely, we were heading in the right direction.

It took another twenty minutes, to reach the place where the truck was standing. As I caught a glimpse of it in the torch light, I ran towards it. I really did think that maybe Bella had fallen asleep in it. To find her in it, safe and sound would be the most wonderful discovery. Jacob stood by the truck, very still. His head was bowed. Panic surged through me. Was she in the truck? Was she okay? Had something happened to her? Did I have to call dad?

Jacob lifted his head as I drew closer. I jogged up to him. He looked into my face with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"What is it Jacob? Is she in there?" He shook his head in response.

"No nothing, Edward. It's empty."

"So she's not answering her phone." I said quietly. Then I added, "Or she _can't_ answer her phone." There was no way that Bella wouldn't answer her phone to me.

It had to be that she was not allowed too or couldn't.

I lifted my hand to the passenger door handle."Don't touch it, Edward!" Jacob snapped."Fingerprints!" He added. I quickly pulled my hand away, realizing, he was right. Of course the Police would want to dust it for prints!

"Have you rung the Police?" I asked Jacob. He nodded.

"They're not happy that we're searching. They haven't managed to find anything on this man yet. They want us to go home. They said that they can take up the search from this point, in the morning. They don't want anyone to get hurt."

"We can't give up now! Not now we're so close!" I begged. Jacob looked at me with wide eyes.

"Who says we're giving up?! We've found the truck and if you're right with what you feel, Edward, then she could be very close. I'm not going home yet. I know you're not."

He looked around him, looking at each man, pointedly. "Do any of you, want to go home now?"

Seth was the first to step forward."Nope. I want to carry on." He said decidedly. I was proud of his decision, being the youngest member of this search party, he showed an amazing amount of backbone.

One by one the others stepped forward, until finally Sam walked up to me.

"Edward, I want to apologise for what I said a while ago. Your right, I don't know Bella. But if she loves you, as much as you love her, then I'm sure she is close by, as you say. I'm in."

I nodded my thanks to each one of them. Jacob turned to Sam. "How much further is this shack, Seth was talking about? If it's still there, then it must be worth having a look at. Don't you think, Sam?"

"Absolutely." Sam answered. He pulled out his map and Jacob moved over to stand behind him and shone his torch on it, to highlight the trail. We gathered around Sam, to take in the directions.

"It isn't marked on the map. It was never built to be a permanent structure. If it is still there, then it's at least another half an hour to three quarters of an hour walk from here."

I shut my eyes for a moment, taking in this information. Bella must have been in a terrible state. Being driven to this part of the forest, she didn't know. By someone she didn't know. I was sure that she had probably been threatened, in some way. I opened my eyes immediately, before I could think about the possibility of her having been hurt. I rubbed my temples to try and clear my head.

"Are you okay, Edward?" Emmett asked, resting his hand on my shoulder, full of concern.

I nodded. "Yes, yes, I'm fine Emmett. I'll feel even better when we've found her." I looked over to Jacob. "Are we ready to start out?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes, we're ready, Edward." He then continued.

"We'll need to take it easy, once we get to the clearing. If the shack is still there, we will have to take care. If she is in there and she's not alone, we don't want to arouse his suspicions, that we're in the area. We will have to be very quiet. I say we check the area out first, for the shack. If it's there, then just one or two of us, take a look around it. Depending what we find, we'll make decisions then."

We all nodded in silence. Sam took the lead, with Jacob following close behind.

We made our way along the trail. It was rocky and there were many tree roots sticking out, causing us to have to go at a slower pace than I wanted too. Once or twice I almost tripped up. My heart lurched each time. I thought about how Bella would have coped with making this walk. How she would have been frightened, not knowing where she was going or what was going to happen, when she got there. My stomach churned again at the thought of her being dragged along by her abductor. His hands on her, dragging her perhaps. She certainly wouldn't be going willingly. My anger began to rise again at the thought that he may have manhandled her or even shouted at her. If I managed to get my hands on him, he would certainly be getting a taste of his own medicine.

We had only been walking for about fifteen minutes, when I suddenly stopped. My phone was vibrating. I whispered loudly, to everyone up ahead. "Stop!" I took my phone out of my pocket. It was Rose. I quickly opened it. The men quickly made their way back to where I stood and waited patiently.

"Go ahead, Rose." I whispered. I listened intently, looking over to Emmett and Jacob and nodding to them.

"Are you sure Rose. That's all the Police said?"

"Okay, I just need to think about that for a moment. Try and figure this out. Thanks for that, Rose. I'll ring you when we have something definite to tell you." I reassured her and shut my phone. I paused for a moment deep in thought.

"What is it, Edward? What did Rose tell you?" Emmett whispered, impatiently.

"The Police got back to her. The only thing they found on him was that he was engaged to a woman who had a serious accident in Forks, over two years ago. He was interviewed for details of her whereabouts that day. Apparently she was taken to Seattle for treatment. She was too badly injured to be treated locally. The Police even contacted the hospital."

"And, what did they find out?" Emmett encouraged.

"They were told that she was cared for in the ICU."

"Well, that seems about right. If she was that badly injured. But what has that got to do with Bella? Fuck this Edward. It's not making sense." He said, shaking his head in frustration.

"I don't understand, Edward." Jacob said flatly.

"The woman, Victoria, didn't survive. Her attending physician was...."

"Who, Edward?" Emmett said, louder than before.

"Her attending physician was...me." I finally said, taking in a large breath, as I said the last word. It was beginning to come back to me. The man was frantic. He said at the time that if I didn't save her, my life would not be worth living. The night of her arrival in the ICU was so clear, now that the memory had been reawakened.

"I remember now. She had bright red hair. She was in a terrible state. She lived for three days. I remember thinking at the time, I was amazed that she held on for three days. Three hours was my estimation at the time, her injuries were so bad. He was frantic. He hardly left her side. Not even to go and eat. I remember thinking how amazing it was that he loved her so much. When we had to turn off the machines, he was inconsolable. He had a complete breakdown. Nothing we said helped him."

"My God, Edward. Do you think he lost this mind completely? Is there a chance that he would hurt Bella?" Emmett asked, frantically.

"I don't know what he's capable of, Emmett. If it is this man, who has taken Bella, then he's done it out of revenge. He said at the time that if she died my life would not be worth living. If it is him, then he has formed the perfect plan. What I don't understand is, why has he waited until now? Why all this time later? He could have hurt me then, after she died. Why has he waited until now?" My mind began to blur with all the unanswered questions.

"So, you don't think that he's doing this, for money?" Jacob asked, astonished.

"No, I don't Jacob. If I have remembered correctly, then all of _this,_ is not about money. It is all about, hurting me. Hurting me in some way similar to what he believes, I did to him. Taking away the woman he loved."

Jacob nodded, understandingly. "I can see where he's coming from. But what he has done, isn't right. Bella is the innocent in all of this. She's done nothing wrong."

"And neither did, Edward." Emmett added, not liking the tone of Jacob's insinuation. "Edward is a good doctor. There is no way, he wouldn't have done his best for this woman." I looked at him and thanked him with my eyes. Emmett, loyal as always.

"I'm sure you did do your best, Edward. But it obviously was not your best, as far as this lunatic was concerned. We need to see if that shack is still there. Come on! Lets get going." I could not agree with Jacob more, right now.

I was sure that this was what we were up against now. A heartbroken man who had decided to take matters in his own hands.

He must have had a complete breakdown, in order to wait this long to have his revenge. If this was the case, then he must be considered as dangerous. What if he had a weapon? We didn't have anything of the sort with us. We certainly out-numbered him, but if he had a gun, then he could deal with us from a distance. And he had Bella. What if he decided that my punishment had to be, to lose Bella. An eye for an eye. Could this man be reasoned with? Did he still possess enough compassion, to see that Bella was the innocent in all of this.

I could offer myself in exchange for Bella's safety. Surely, that would suffice. There would be no point in making Bella suffer. She had been through enough already.

She didn't need to be frightened any more than she already had been. Surely, there was enough humanity in him to realise that, and let her go.

Sliently we moved forward, treading very carefully but our pace had somehow increased. We were not exactly sure how far away the shack was, that's if, it still existed. My heart thumped loudly, as if it wanted to break free from my chest, in fear of what we would find at the end of the trail.

I kept checking my watch. We had been walking for some thirty minutes now. The shack couldn't be much further away.

With my heart beating so fast, in answer to the anxious feeling building up inside me, my breathing became laboured. I felt completely unfit. All the worry and dread that I was experiencing, was sapping away my energy. I needed to keep control over my emotions, and fast. The last thing Bella needed right now, was for me to turn up eager to help her, but not have the energy to do anything. I stood still for a moment, to rest. I leaned forward, with my hands on my knees and took in several deep breaths.

Everyone else continued walking. As Keegan and Quil passed me, they patted me on the back, reassuringly. I would never forget them, any of them from this day on.

They had all come out to help, even though they didn't know Bella or me. No doubt, it was enough for them that Jacob had asked for their help. God, if everything turned out okay, they would be the first one's on the guest list at the wedding! I would never be able to thank them enough.

After a few minutes, I felt composed enough to continue. Bella needed me and I couldn't fail her. I managed to catch up with the others, increasing my stride with every step. Not five minutes later, someone up front signalled with their torch. It was probably Sam. The torch was turned off suddenly. We all stopped in our tracks. It was as if we knew, that we had reached the clearing, that Sam spoke of earlier. Maybe the shack _was_ still there. Not a word was spoken. I then heard footsteps as someone walked ahead of me, in my direction. As he came closer, I could just make out that it was Jacob.

"The shack is still there. We're about a hundred feet from it." Jacob said in a hushed tone.

"I want to go up front with you." I whispered back. Jacob nodded and turned around to head back up to the front of the line. I followed him. Each of the men nodded to me as I walked past them. I could feel, the anticipation of what we might find, hanging heavily in the air, over us. When I finally got to where Sam was standing, his eyes trained on a distant shape, lit only by moonlight, that was the shack. The three of us stood silent. Everything in me screamed to go up there, immediately. But my head told me, we had to do things properly and planned, for the sake of Bella.

I had no doubts now, standing at this place on the trail, that Bella was in there and that she was not alone.

I grabbed Jacob's arm, suddenly.

"We must get a little closer. If Bella's phone is not switched off, we may be able to hear it, when I ring it." I whispered, my mind made up as to what I was going to do next.

Both Sam and Jacob nodded.

I pulled out my phone and hit speed dial number one. I noticed, that we all held our breath at the same time.

A few seconds later, we breathed out in shear relief. Bella's phone began to ring, loudly. I let it ring three times and then ended the call. The phone in the shack fell silent.

I needed no more confirmation than that.

Jacob pointed for me to take up a position to the right of the shack. Sam was to take the left. Jacob would go as far as he could, up to the door. We began to move forward, stepping carefully along the remainder of the trail until we reached the clearing. We kept a good distance as we circled the building. It was completely dark from the outside. There was no sound coming from it.

Jacob moved forward, almost on all fours, inching his way closer to the door. He stopped short of the door. I wasn't able to see why. I just had to trust that he was doing what he thought best. That was good enough for me, right now. I stood still, under the cover of darkness, watching him as he craned his head forward, as far as it would reach.

He stayed like this for only a minute or so and then began to retreat. He signalled for us to also drop back, to the trail. Carefully we made our way back, keeping our eyes trained on the door of the wooden shack. Once we were back with the others, Jacob spoke in a whisper.

"Edward," He began. "Don't say a word and don't move from this spot, okay?" He waited for me to nod to him. His instructions were obviously important to the whole outcome of this night.

"I could see through a couple of gaps. There is a man in there. The room was quite light. He seemed very relaxed. I could not see Bella. It may be that he's keeping her in another room."

He turned to Sam. "How many rooms are there?"

"The front room has a kitchen area to the left, by a fireplace. The only other room is the bedroom area. There is a door that separates the two rooms." Sam answered.

"Then that must be where he's keeping her." Jacob said pensively. He then turned to me.

"Edward, I'm going to go back up there. I want you to ring the phone again. I might be able to get a better look, as to what is going on, in there."

I nodded, still conscious of staying silent and keeping still. Jacob set off, pointing the torch in his hand, down to the ground. He would signal with it, once he was in position.

I watched, as he made his way back to the clearing and then as before, on all fours, until he reached the same place as before. As soon as I saw the torch flicker back at us, I pressed speed dial one, again. This time I decided to let it ring five times. I counted, and then ended the call.

I shuffled from one foot to the other, as the pent up energy began to build up inside me again. Waiting patiently, for Jacob to do something, was excruciatingly painful. It seemed like an eternity had passed by, before he carefully, made his way back to us. I hadn't realised, that I had held my breath, since the time I had shut my phone after the second call, until I finally breathed out, when Jacob stood with us, once again.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note; **Wow, that was fun to write! The next chapter will have to be about what the.... is going on in the shack now. While I put that together ,and recover from whatever this bug is that I seemed to have contracted, you lovely people need to do a very important thing for me. Hit the green button and REVIEW!! My energy levels are failing and I need some encouragement. So even if you have never reviewed before, now is the time. Take care.


	54. Chapter 54

**Author's note;** Many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. I hope that I have responded to all of you by now. Thank you also to those of you who are new to this story. Many thanks to those who have added this story to their Favourites/Story Alerts List and to those who have added little old me to their Favourite Author List. You are all so very kind. This chapter begins with Bella's POV. Edward's POV is also included.I'm sure you will be able to keep up with the switches in POV's Enjoy!

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight. I own Cook Wanted.

**COOK WANTED**

Friday night into Saturday morning

Bella POV

I was startled out of my half slumber, by the sound of my phone ringing. He hadn't given up. It felt like it had been hours since the last call. The phone fell silent, after the third ring. I looked over to where James was resting, probably alseep. He didn't move. Three rings hadn't warranted him to use any energy, to check the caller ID. We both knew who it was. We were both pleased but for entirely different reasons.

He was pleased because he knew how much it would be hurting Edward, that I wasn't answering his calls.

I was pleased because it was an indication to me that he hadn't given up, in the hope that I would answer his calls. If only I could.

I stretched out on the bed again and shivered slightly. The temperature in the shack had dropped considerably. I pulled my jacket a little tighter around my middle with my right hand. I made sure that I didn't make any unneccessary noise with the handcuffed hand, so that I didn't draw any attention to myself. The distance between us right now, was just fine by me.

Above all, I hoped that Edward was holding himself together. I knew that he was not unfamiliar with stressful situations. He had worked in ICU after all. I was sure that working in that enviornment would be stressful at the best of times. Now that he was a surgeon, he was sure to experience a certain level of stress most days.

But of course this was rather different. This was much more personal.

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I really needed a drink right now. The bottle by the side of the bed, mocked me. James certainly had a perverse sense of humor.

He obviously wanted to be in complete control. He wanted me to have to depend on him for everything. I bit my lip, my stubborn side coming to the fore. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of asking him for anything.

And then it happened again. My phone rang out. My heart jolted and began to beat extremely fast. I sat frozen, looking at the phone on the coffee table, close to where his feet were resting.

This time he moved. Taking his feet off the table, he leaned forward and studied the phone as it rang out. After five rings it stopped. It almost felt like it was a kind a signal.

James stuck his head around the door and looked in my direction, grinning, menacingly.

"Persistant, isn't he? How worried do you think he is, Bella?" He stood as he spoke, stretching his arms up in the air and arching his back. A self satisfied smirk on his face. "Not quite suffering enough, as far as I'm concerned." He added, chuckling to himself.

"Cat got your tongue, Bella? I can understand that you're angry with me just now, but I think you'll get used to me." He sounded so sure of himself. He didn't know me at all.

He walked over to the doorway and stood in it for a moment, blocking out most of the light eminating from the candles in that room. I couldn't quite make out the expression on his face at that moment.

Instead of looking at him and giving him the satisfaction of seeing how sad my face was, I turned away from him. Not just my face, but as much of my body, as well.

He was silent for a time. I was hoping that he would just go and sit back down in the comfy chair, that he had until now, taken up residence in.

But he didn't. I heard him walk towards the bed and stand still. I shuddered, listening to him breathing.

Edward POV

As Jacob neared us, I let out a deep breath. I couldn't read his face until he got closer. He was guarding his emotions extremely well, around me.

He lifted his arm and let it come to rest on my shoulder. "Don't say a word, Edward." He warned me, backed up by a hard stare. I nodded in response. I could feel the pulse in my ears throbbing. My body was already preparing itself for a fight.

"I couldn't see Bella. I'm sure she's in the back room but it was too dark for me to see." He whispered. Sam drew in a sharp breath.

"He has a hand gun. It was on a coffee table in front of him. I heard him, Edward. He called Bella by her name." I pushed against his arm on my shoulder, which now gripped me firmly, holding me in place. I almost immediately relaxed my body, to show that I had regained some control of my emotions. He let his hand drop moments later.

"Somehow, I want to get him to come out of there. We can't storm the shack without the possibility of him hurting Bella. I'm not willing to take that chance." He seemed to be sure of what he was saying. I had a feeling that he was leaving out certain information. Maybe for the best.

Seth edged forward gingerly, making sure not to make a sound. He stood next to Sam, looking at Jacob pointedly. "We could go into the woods and do our wolf calls." He said with enthusiasm in his tone. The three of us turned and looked at Seth as if he were the Second Coming. "It's a full moon tonight!" He added, shrugging his shoulders.

We looked at each other and then trained our eyes on Jacob. He was calling the shots after all. He digested the idea for a moment. I thought that he might dismiss it, but no, he slowly nodded. He was forming a plan.

"It might be the only way of getting him out of there. Even with a gun, there are enough of us to jump him in the forest, without any of us getting hurt. Edward, get Emmett up here. You two will take up position, ready to go into the shack when he walks out. You'll need to wait at least thirty seconds, after you see him come out. If this doesn't work, then we'll have to think of something else. This is so weird, it might actually work." He smiled at Seth. At this moment in time, any ideas were worth considering.

I quickly turned and headed back down to where Emmett was standing. Seth followed, signalling to the rest of the men to make their way up to where Sam and Jacob were standing.

I quickly relayed to Emmett, the details of what was planned. He looked at me with wide eyes and smiled. "Damn! That kid has got some imagination." He breathed out, smiling.

We made our way up the trail and joined the others. There was a fresh sense of optimism in the air and all of us seemed to be re-energised. Seth was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

We all nodded at each other. Without another word we made our way up the the trail. As soon as we reached the beginning of the clearing, Emmett and I crept over to a more dense area of undergrowth close to the shack, to take cover and wait. We crouched down and watched as the others deftly made their way into the forest behind the shack. I could see through small cracks in the woodwork of the building, slithers of light, fuelling the faint glimmer of hope that this would work.

Bella POV

I felt his fingers trail through the length of my hair. I felt like screaming at him. But what good would that do me? I had to keep calm. I had to keep my emotions under control. I pulled my legs up to my chest and curled up into a ball again. I really needed a drink of water. My heart was pounding so hard, it was making my throat dry.

He was totally oblivious of my discomfort, at his touch. Edward was the only man allowed to touch me like that. I wrapped my right arm around my legs and buried my head into my knees. I began to sob. My eyes were smarting from the lack of sleep and crying too much. I wiped the tears on my cheeks and my runny nose, on the leg of my jeans. There had never been a time, that I felt more awful. I just hoped that when and if this was all over, I would never in my life, feel like this again.

His fingers suddenly stopped, mid-action. He pulled his hand away. I chanced to look at him, over my shoulder, silently. He was frozen to the spot, listening. His eyes were trained toward the outside wall. He had heard something.

Not a second later, I heard it too. I could just make out the faint sound of a wolf, in the distance. Perfectly normal as far as I was concerned. We were in a forest after all.

Then there was a second howl. A deeper tone, this time. They were talking to each other. The sound seemed quite close, although I couldn't be sure. On a still night, like tonight, their howls probably carried for miles, ricocheting off the mountains.

I noticed that James, shifted his body weight, from one foot to the other. He seemed a little uneasy and tense. He turned, sharply and without a word, headed for the front door. I uncurled my body, rolled over and watched as he opened the door and stood for a moment, listening to the howling. There was now a third wolf joining in on the chorus.

With the door open, they sounded quite close. He took one quick look behind him, as if to check that I was still there. His behaviour was quite perplexing. He appeared to be genuinely unnerved by the wolves and their night time activities.

He took a couple of steps back and picked up the gun. Moving back to the open door, he shut the door behind him. He was gone. I stared at the closed door, amazed. I listened as the howling continued. From what I could tell, there were at least four out there, if not five. Then suddenly there was silence. I strained my ears to hear what was going on out there. I couldn't hear anything. There was nothing but silence.

In the next moment, two things seemed to happen simultaneously.

The door flew open on its hinges, crashing against the wall of the shack and then there was a single gunshot.

I instinctively curled up in a ball again and screamed, covering my face with my hands. I heard heavy footsteps thud over the floorboards, towards me, rapidly. I screamed again, as I felt hands grasp at my arms, tugging at them.

"Bella! Bella! It's me!" His voice instantly stopped me from letting loose, another scream. My hands dropped from my face, at the recognition of his voice.

"Edward! He'll be back!" I said, as loudly as my failing voice could muster.

Emmett stood close behind Edward blocking the doorway. He reached for his phone and spoke.

"Yes, Jacob, we're with her now. What was the gunshot about?" He listened, looking at Edward and then down at me.

"Good. He's still alive then." He stated, nodding at Edward.

I listened, not quite understanding everything that was going on. Jacob was out there somewhere, with James. But it seemed that Jacob was thankfully, okay.

"Good. Bring him down here, back to the clearing. I want to see this lunatic for myself." He breathed.

Edward turned his attention back to me. He wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent. I immediately felt calmer. He held me for what seemed like hours. I was so overcome with emotion, that I couldn't find my voice.

"Everything is okay now, Bella. Your safe. My God, I can hardly believe it, but you're safe." As he pulled away from me, he saw the handcuff. His face immediately darkened.

"Emmett!" He called out. His brother responded, turning around from his place at the front door.

"When they bring him back, will you please look for a key, he might have on him. He's handcuffed Bella, to the bed!" Edward added angryly. Emmett mumbled something under his breath and thumped the door a couple of times.

Edward reached down to the bottle on the floor. "Do you need a drink, Bella?" He asked. I immediately shook my head, with wide eyes. He looked down at the bottle in his hand, frowning.

"That water is drugged." I whispered. He immediately, placed the bottle in his jacket pocket.

"Emmett!" He called out. "Are there any unopened bottles of water out there?" Moments later Emmett walked into the bedroom and handed Edward a fresh bottle.

He quickly twisted off the cap and handed it to me. "Here, my love. This one is safe." He watched as I took a long drink. As I pulled the bottle from my mouth, I gasped for air. I took another mouthful and poured a little into my free hand, rubbing my face with the refreshing liquid.

I smiled weakly at Edward. "I must look awful. I feel like I could sleep for a week." He smiled back at me.

"It doesn't matter what you look like to me. I'm just so relieved that your okay. As soon as we get you out of these, I'm taking you home." He looked at me, hesitantly.

"Bella, I don't want to ask you this, but I have too." I placed my fingers on his lips. I knew exactly what that question would be.

"It's okay, Edward. He didn't touch me, when I was drugged. I'm okay." He nodded and pulled me close to his chest again, kissing the side of my head.

"Thank God, Bella. Thank God, he didn't hurt you." He whispered in my ear.

There was shouting outside. I could hear various voices including James. He was shouting and swearing that his leg hurt. Emmett bolted from the shack, but Edward resisted the urge to go out there and confront him. He knew instictively that I needed him to stay with me. Right now, I didn't want him to go anywhere.

There was a commotion outside and I heard Emmett tell the others that he needed a key. James shouted at them and told them to leave him alone. The next thing Emmett shouted out. "Got it!" He ran back into the shack and handed the key to Edward, who immediately unlocked the device, setting me free. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him. He stood up and in one swift movement, scooped me up into his arms and cradled me to his chest. He then began to walk out of the shack.

Although it was cold outside, it felt good to feel the fresh air on my face. I looked over to where the sound of grunting and swearing was coming from. I could see, Jacob and some other men, holding James down on the ground. Edward didn't look around. I could feel how tense his body was, but he didn't flinch. He trained his eyes on me and nowhere else.

"Are you okay, Bella?!" Jacob called out. He lent on James' chest for a moment and then stood up, happy that James was being kept securely pinned to the ground. He walked over to where Edward was standing with me, in his arms.

He looked at me, relief etched on his face."Thank God, you're alright, Bella." He looked at Edward then."The Police are on their way and so is your father, Edward. I rang them the minute we caught him in the forest." He added, shinning his torch over in the direction of the group of men, holding James down. Edward simply nodded too him and whispered his thanks.

I reached up to Edward's face and kissed his cheek. As exhausted as I was, I was so proud of him. "I love you so much, Edward." I whispered. He answered me by bringing his face closer to mine and kissing my lips chastely.

Edward POV

We didn't have to wait much longer before the Police arrived. They had driven their vehicle as far up the trail as they could and had jogged the rest of the way. Dad arrived with them.

Quitely, dad walked over to Bella after taking in the scene with James and the other men. James was still protesting, every so often, so he was very much alive. The Police went straight over to James and took over from the search party, snapping handcuffs on his wrists. I inwardly smiled, pleased that he was now going to get a taste of his own medicine.

Dad asked Bella, the usual questions, the ones I had already asked. "Right now, all you need is a good rest. My car is back down along the trail. It's a little bit of a walk, but once you get there, get Bella into the car. Take Emmett with you." He stated,handing Emmett the car keys. "You'll find a couple of blankets in the back." He added.

"Thanks, dad." I took a couple of steps forward with Emmett following me and then remembered the bottle of water that was in my jacket pocket. "Dad!" I called out. He turned and walked back to me. I nodded towards my left hand pocket. "Can you take this and give it to the Police. It's the water he gave Bella. He put some kind of drug in it. It'll need to be tested for evidence."

Dad nodded to me, talking the bottle carefully. He was already wearing latex gloves, ready to deal with the blood, seeping from James' leg. As he approached the officers, one of them produced an evidence bag and the bottle was placed into it and the bag was sealed, for the time being.

James was sitting on the ground, still surrounded by the men and being held still, by one of the officers. He watched dad intently as he walked over, placing his bag on the ground, in preparation to check his leg.

"Let's hope that this Dr. Cullen doesn't kill his patient, like you did Edward!" He shouted out. "You don't fucking deserve to be happy! I didn't make you suffer enough!"

I ignored his rantings and with great resolve, I walked away, Bella safely nestled in my arms. I could feel that she was beginning to drift off to sleep. She had become limp and a little heavier. James continued to shout out after me. I was not going to rise to the bait. Bella was my priority and I wanted to get her back to the house as soon as possible.

Emmett led the way, with his torch lighting up the trail. It wasn't long before we finally made it safely to dad's car, which was parked a short distance behind the Police cruiser.

Emmett helped me to get Bella into the back of the car. We managed to get her comfortable across the back seat and I cradled her head in my lap. Emmett found the blankets and we covered her up to keep her warm. She didn't stir for the entire time that we carefully moved her about. Once Bella and I were settled, Emmett got into the front passenger seat and we waited in silence for dad to return to the car. I shut my eyes, concentrating on my breathing, allowing the relief I felt, to finally seep through me.

We only had to wait another ten minutes, before we saw dad walking down the trail. He made himself comfortable behind the steering wheel.

He half turned to speak to me and Emmett. "I patched him up, good enough for the journey to the hospital. He'll have to be operated on tonight, to get the bullet out. Thank goodness it was only him who got hurt. That was some risk you all took. I'm proud of you all." Not another word was said as dad started up the car and reversed down the trail until he came to a space large enough for him to turn the car around and head home.

When we did arrive home, I carefully lifted Bella into my arms and carried her into the house. We were greeted by mom and Rose who were so relieved to see us all home safely, that they began to cry. They gently kissed Bella on her exposed cheek, then hugged Emmett and dad in turn, before I took Bella upstairs to our room. I was only too happy to leave Emmett and dad to explain the events of the evening.

With great care, I placed Bella on her side of the bed. I carefully removed her jacket, shoes, socks and jeans. I encased her in the comforter and helped myself to a couple of blankets from the linen cupboard. I undressed and slid into bed next to the woman I loved, with all of my heart. I looked at her, sleeping soundly. I found it hard to turn the bedside light off. I just wanted to lay there and look at her. Eventually, exhaustion began to overwhelm me and I switched off the light, kissed Bella good night and settled down to sleep, the longer the better, hopefully.

**End of Chapter **

**Author's note; **So, finally Bella is rescued and thankfully the only person physically hurt, is James. While I work on the next chapter, please review. Your words encourage me to carry on writing even when writer's block looms on the horizon. Take care all of you.


	55. Chapter 55

**Author's note;** Many, many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. Thank you also to those of you who have added this story to their Favourites and Story Alerts List. Some of you have also added me to your Favourite Author's List. I am very flattered. This chapter deals with the aftermath of the abduction. We start with Bella's POV, ending the chapter with Edward's POV. Some of you may find this chapter rather boring but the fact of the matter is, that after all that has happened to Bella and the family, everyone is feeling completely worn out. I hope you like it.

**Disclaimer; **I do not own Twilight, but this story is all mine.

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday

**Bella POV**

When I woke up the next morning, the bedside clock, informed me that it was half past ten. My throat was thick with sleep, sore and I was desperate for a drink of water. As I turned over, Edward wasn't there. I felt a slight sense of panic rise in my chest, that I was alone. I leaned up on my elbows and looked around the room. I was, thank goodness, in our bedroom. I looked over to my bedside table and sighed with relief when I saw a bottle of water with a note, leaning up against it. I switched the bedside light on, to read the note.

_Bella Darling, _

_I didn't want to wake you. I'm downstairs with the family, if you need me. The Police are coming here to talk to us all, at around ten. I will try and make them leave your interview for last._

_I love you._

_E._

I smiled to myself, wearily, and reached for the bottle of water, unscrewing the cap and took a long drink from it. The water felt good and helped to soothe the soreness. I sat up for a short time. My head was throbbing slightly, which was probably due to having had too much sleep and very little food. My stomach growled just at that point. Good timing, as always. My first priority was to have a shower. I felt very dirty and my hair was in a bad way. I threw back the covers and hauled myself into the bathroom. I turned on the shower to let the water come up to temperature. While it was doing that, I brushed my teeth, vigourously. My mouth felt like a sewer.

I stepped into the steaming shower and leaned against the tiled wall for a moment, to let the hot water permiate my tense body. I then set about washing my hair, which I ended up deep conditioning and then washed my body with my faovourite freesia shower gel.

When I shut the water off, I stood still for a moment letting the excess water drip from my body. I still felt exhausted, which was to be expected. I then stepped out and wrapped myself up in my towelling robe. I felt a lot better and a little more human.

I quickly dried myself and set about drying my hair. I spent ten minutes, getting most of the moisture out of my hair and then tied it up in a ponytail so that it could finish drying naturally. I needed food and a coffee, fast. I could feel my headache getting worse.

I pulled on underwear, a pair of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt.

I carefully made my way downstairs. I could hear people talking, in the breakfast room and made my way quietly into the kitchen. Thankfully, there was already of pot of coffee on. I walked over to the pot, when Edward looked up from the table and made his way over to me.

"Bella! Darling, come and sit down. Let me get that for you." He said, concern in his tone. Within seconds he was by my side, snaking his arm around my waist and giving me a kiss on my temple.

"Please, go and sit down. I'll see to that. What would you like to eat?" He busied himself pouring out a mug of coffee.

"Thank you, Edward." I answered, hoarsely. "I would love a couple of slices of toast, for now." He nodded as he led me over to the table, pulling out a chair for me to sit on. Everyone around the table was very quiet as they watched me carefully. I sensed the apprehension, around the table.

"It's okay." I said reassuringly. "I won't fall to pieces, I promise." I said quietly, smiling weakly.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did, Bella." Rose spoke out, looking more worried about me than anyone else around the table.

"I'm okay, really." I said trying to sound more forceful.

"No, you're not Bella. Please don' t put on a brave face for our sakes." Rose, added. Of course she was right.

Silent tears rolled down my cheeks at the concern that the family were showing me. Emmett got up from his seat and came over to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"I don't know how you coped Bella. You are one of the bravest women I know. You were amazing last night." He gently encouraged me.

"So were you Emmett. So was everyone, who was in on the rescue. I don't know how to say thank you." I replied, wiping away my hot tears with the back of my hand.

"It was nothing Bella. You're family and the Cullen family look after their own. Now, get the coffee and toast down you. I think the Police will want to talk to you soon. They've spoken to Rose, Mom, dad and me so far, so it will be Edward next and then you. I think the're going to let Edward sit with you when they take your statement." He said, reassuringly, kissed the top of my head and then made his way out of the room.

Edward brought over the mug of coffee and toast and set it down in front of me.

"I'll go and let the Police know that your awake now and having something to eat. I won't be long. Mom, Rose, you will stay with her, won't you?" They both nodded and smiled in Edward's direction.

Edward then made his way out of the kitchen. The breakfast room fell silent. I took a big sip of the coffee and ate the toast hungrily.

"Would you like anything else to eat, Bella?" Esme asked quietly.

"No, thanks Esme, I think that will do for now. I might have something else, when the Police have gone." She nodded at my words.

I finished off the mug of coffee and Rose immediately got up, to fetch me a refill.

"I really want to go and see Jacob today and the others. I want to thank them for all that they did last night. Things could have turned out very differently, if they had not been there to get James away from me." I stared at the mug in front of me, needing to focus on something other than sad and worried faces.

"I'm sure once you feel a little better later, Edward will take you down to the reservation." Esme began. "I know that Edward wants to see them all and say his thanks too. Emmett said that he would go too and drive you both down there." She added, smiling at me.

I nodded and started on the next mug of coffee.

"It wasn't Tanya's fault, you know." I said suddenly. Esme and Rose looked at me with questioning eyes.

"It was James. He told me how he used her to hurt Edward. He did a good job, don't you think?" They gasped at my words.

"You mean the man that Edward found her in bed with, was James?" Rose asked, clearly shocked at this piece of information.

I nodded and took another sip of my drink.

"She didn't have to sleep with him though. That was her fault. Not matter how persuasive, she could have said no." Rose added.

"He said that she liked her drink. For all we know he drugged her, like he drugged me." Again Esme and Rose, gasped.

"Shit, Bella! Did he touch you?!" I shook my head as vigorously as I could, without hurting my head.

"No, he didn't. I'm not sure how much longer he would have held back though. He talked about taking me with him to South America." They both looked at each other, open mouthed.

"He was going to take Jess, but then he said he didn't feel like it anymore and he wanted to take me, instead." My words felt disjointed as I spoke. I had to clarify my statement.

"He hooked up with Jess in order to keep an eye on what was going on in Edward's life. When he found out that Edward and I were together, he formed his next plan."

They both nodded at me in understanding.

"Yes, Edward told us this morning that he had treated James' girlfriend in ICU and that she died. But that was such along time ago. I can hardly believe that he would hold the grudge for as long as this." Esme said.

"He really is sick in the head! How can anyone do that? You had nothing to do with his girlfriend dying!" Rose, said angrily.

"But I had everything to do with Edward being happy. That is what he wanted to destroy. Edward's happiness." I added, to complete the picture.

"And he very nearly succeeded." Esme mused, in almost a whisper.

"Does Edward know all about this, Bella?" Rose asked, sounding worried.

"No, I haven't had a chance to tell him yet. But he will find out when I give my statement to the Police." The room fell silent at my words. I finished drinking the coffee and sat quietly with my eyes shut. Both Esme and Rose stood up from the table for a moment and kissed my cheeks, confirmation from them that nothing more needed to be said.

A short time later, Edward walked back into the breakfast room.

"The police would like to speak to you now, Bella. Will you be okay for this?" He asked, softly.

"Yes, of course I will, Edward. But can you please sit with me. Are you allowed too?" I could not do this, without him at my side.

"Absolutely Bella. You just try and keep me out of there." His tone was resolute.

He helped me from my seat and took my hand, to lead me into the living room. At least in there, I would be sitting on a comfy couch for the duration of the interview.

I carefully walked into the living room, closely followed by Rose, with another mug of coffee. She set it down on the coffee table for me and left the room, shutting the door quietly, behind her.

I nodded to the officers and sat down opposite them, on the other side of the coffee table.

There was a male officer and a female one. They both nodded to me and I gave them a weak smile as I settled on the couch.

"How are you doing, this morning, Miss Swan?" The female officer asked, looking at me anxiously. Her tone indicated to me that she thought, I might not be able to give my statement today.

"Not too bad, thank you. I still feel very tired though." I had to be honest with her.

"That's to be expected. You went through quite an ordeal. We won't keep you any longer than necessary, right now. We thought it would be better for us to come to your home, rather than do this at the Police Station." She said, kindly.

"Yes, thank you. I really do appreciate that." I nodded and took a sip of my coffee.

"So, would you please start from the time that you arrived in Forks and include as much detail as possible. Please take as long as you need. There is no rush." She urged.

I began to recite all of the events up to the point where James stopped me while I was driving away from the reservation.

"So you had seen the same car twice that day in Forks, but didn't think it a little strange that he stopped you on that road." Her question hung in the air for a moment.

"Well, no. The other times I saw the car, I thought that perhaps the driver was lost. I really didn't pay anymore attention, than that. When he stopped me on the road, he looked very concerned about the rear tyre of my truck. I just didn't think that anything like that would happen in broad daylight." I countered.

Both officers nodded, as if they understood now, what I meant. It didn't stop me from feeling stupid at the same time, in hindsight. I shut my eyes for a moment, feeling such a fool. Edward sensed the tension in me and held my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I leaned my head against his shoulder. So many people had been put in danger because of my stupidity. I took a deep breath and continued.

I explained that he had made me wear a blindfold and that I didn't realise where we were going to, until we reached the shack, where he took the blindfold off, gave me the drugged water and then found myself handcuffed to the bed. I had to stop for a moment while I remembered the feeling of sheer fear when I woke up some hours later finding myself handcuffed.

"At first I thought that he may have done something to me, while I was asleep. But he hadn't." I stopped, to quell the feeling of fear, rising in me again. "I don't suppose that was part of his plan." I took a few deep breaths.

"So, what did he tell you, as to the reason why he kidnapped you?" The male officer asked.

"He told me that his girlfriend died, when she was in Edward's care, in the ICU. He said that he wanted Edward to suffer for it. That Edward didn't deserve to be happy.

He told me that he had caused the breakup of Edward's relationship with Tanya Denali." Edward looked over to me, shock etched on his face. I squeezed his hand as I carried on talking.

"He then found out who worked as the family cleaner, at the Seattle house. He started dating her, Jessica, so that he could keep an eye on what was going on in Edward's life. He used her to gain information. As soon as he found out that Edward and I were dating, he set his latest plan into action. What he had done with Tanya wasn't enough. He didn't want Edward to ever be happy. He actually said that he wanted to take me to South America with him instead of Jessica. He never said what he planned for me, if he had taken Jessica with him. I can't begin to think what he had in mind. It porobably wouldn't have been good, considering how much he wanted Edward to suffer." My eyes began to sting with tears, once again.

I buried my head in Edward's chest as the tears began to flow freely once again. I had no control over my emotions at that precise moment in time. It was all too fresh and the feelings kept coming back at me in huge waves, that even a seasoned surfer would be proud of.

"So, can you explain what happened when, James Damon left you on your own to go and investigate the wolves in the forest?" The male officer asked, writing notes.

"He took his gun with him. I don't know why he went out there. He seemed to be really bothered by them. I couldn't understand why." I took a deep breath.

"And then?"

"Well, that's when Edward and Emmett came into the shack. At the same time when the gun went off. Emmett got the key to the handcuffs and I was set free. I remember Edward lifting me up and carrying me out of the shack but after that I really don't remember anything else." I finished.

I looked up at the officer, trying to convey that that was all I had to say.

"Okay, Miss Swan. I think we'll leave it right there. Will you be able to stay in Forks for a couple of days? We'll get the report written out but you will have to come to the Station to make a formal statement." The female officer stated.

"Yes, of course." I nodded.

"Bella and I will be staying here, until she's ready to go back to Seattle." Edward added.

"Good. Thank you Miss Swan for your time. Make sure that you get plenty of rest." He turned his attention to Edward, and continued. "We will contact you, Dr. Cullen, when we need Miss Swan to come to the Station."

"No problem. When can we collect the truck and Bella's phone?" Edward asked, on my behalf.

"We should be finished, gathering evidence from both, later today. I could arrange for one of our officers to drive the truck back here, once we're done, if you wish? Your phone can be returned to you then, also." The offer was more than generous. Edward nodded.

"Thank you. I would appreciate that." He said, standing up and holding out his hand for me to take. "If you don't mind, Bella needs to rest a little more." The officers nodded and stood up.

"Of course, we won't keep you any longer. Thank you." The female officer said, nodding. Silently, Edward led me out of the room. I had only been out of bed for little over two hours, but already I felt the exhaustion overwhelm me.

"I'll take you back up to bed, Bella. You're still in shock. You need to get as much rest as possible." I nodded, knowing that it was exactly, what I needed. I leaned heavily on Edward's arm, as he assisted me up the stairs.

He helped me onto the bed and removed my jeans, so that I would be more comfortable. I snuggled down between the sheets. Edward, carefully pulled the comforter over me, tucking it under my chin. I could feel my eyelids getting heavy, unable to stay open.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, Bella." He said kissing me, on my forehead.

"Ummm." Was all I could say at that moment, as sleep claimed me once again.

**Edward POV**

I lay down next to Bella for a little while. I knew that it wouldn't be long, before she would fall asleep. She was absolutely exhausted and was in dire need, of more sleep.

I was thankful that we didn't have to take up dad's offer of sleeping tablets, to help her rest. It was better that her body recovered naturally, from the ordeal, rather than drug induced.

Once I was happy that she had drifted off, I gave her one last kiss, on her forehead. She was totally still and breathing heavily. I carefully slid off the bed and made my way back downstairs to the breakfast room. Mom and Rose, were still sitting there. They stopped talking when I entered the room. I sat down at the table and looked over at them, suspicious of their sudden silence.

"Did Bella tell you what happened?" They both nodded, silently.

Rose spoke first. "Yes, she did. She told us about Tanya and Jess. He really is mad, Edward."

"Yes, he was driven by grief. It can do strange things to a person. I can only imagine the depth of his grief, that would drive him to come up with such a plan." I answered, steadily.

"Don't make up excuses for him, Edward. You would be the one grieving right now, if it had all gone wrong." Rose was right, of course. I was viewing things from a professional perspective now. I could afford that luxury because Bella was safe and I was not the person grieving.

My phone rang out. I fished it out of my back pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Jacob. I answered it immediately.

"Jacob, how are you?" I was genuinely pleased to hear from him.

"I'm fine, Edward. How is Bella?" His voice was full of concern.

"She's had her interview with the Police. She's back in bed now, catching up on her sleep." I informed him.

"Good. Otherwise, is she okay?" He was still concerned.

"Yes, really, Jacob. She's fine." I reassured him. "Listen, we would like to come down to the reservation, at some point, to say thank you, properly." I added.

"That would be good, Edward. We were thinking of getting together down on the beach, later on today. We were just going to hang out around a bonfire. If you want to join us, you're welcome too." His voice sounded hopeful.

"What time will you be meeting up?" I asked.

"About six. We'll meet up at my place and then head down to First Beach." He concluded.

"Thanks, Jacob. I'll let Bella know when she wakes up. We'll have to see how she is, then." I promised.

"Of course. No problem, Edward." He said.

"We may see you later, then." I added.

"Yes, until later, Edward." With that, the call ended.

I really wasn't sure that Bella would be well enough to go out tonight but then again, Bella always had a way of surprising me. I had come to realise that she was not a person who would be dictated too. If she wanted to go out, then go out she would. I would be only too happy to take her and I knew that Emmett would welcome the chance to talk to everyone else, in the rescue party again, before he would have to head back to Seattle, for work, first thing Monday morning.

"Do you think it's a good idea to take Bella out tonight, Edward?" Mom asked, looking concerned.

"If she want's to, mom, then we will. I'll go and check on her." I said, as I stood up, from the table.

"I'll make us something for lunch, Edward. Let me know if Bella is can take something up to her, if needed." She said, before I left the room.

"Thanks mom. Will do." I replied, as I made my way to the stairs.

I opened the bedroom door quietly. My eyes rapidly adjusted to the darkness in the room, with just a chink of light coming through the closed curtains at the window. I made my way over to the bed and sat down, gingerly, laying out next to Bella. She was still sleeping peacefully. I wriggled, carefully, to get a little closer to her. I could feel her breath on my face. She moved ever so slightly, gravitating towards me, as she always did. She snuggled into my shoulder. I could not imagine my life without her. The thought alone was almost unbearable. My stomach churned and I quickly said a silent prayer of thanks, that nothing had happen to her at the hands of James and that she would recover quickly, in order to help quell my fears. I shut my eyes to listen to her breathing. Right now, I could not think of anything better to do, than that.

Only a few minutes later she twitched. I immediately opened my eyes. She twitched once again and suddenly her eyes were open. I wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if she had in fact woken up due to a bad dream. At first she stared blankly at me and then finally, recognition set in and she smiled.

I smiled back at her. "Hey you. How are you feeling?" I kissed her forehead as she nodded.

"Better. How long was I asleep for?" I checked the clock on the bedside table.

"Two hours." I answered, placing my arm around her waist, drawing her closer to me.

"Wow, that's good. I feel hungry." She said, absentmindedly.

"Good. Mom's making something for us. Would you like me to bring something up here?" I asked. It was important that she decided what she wanted to do right now. Decision making was not something that she had been allowed to do, while she was kept captive.

"I'd like to go downstairs. My head feels a lot better." She said, smiling.

"No problem, love. Let me get your jeans." I slid off the bed and retreived her jeans from the back of the computer chair. By this time, Bella was sitting up, on the edge of the bed. I helped her pull the jeans on and she secured the zip and button quickly. She stood for a moment, to steady herself. She was no doubt feeling a sudden rush of blood to her head. I held out my hand to her and thankfully, she took hold of it. I wanted to be as useful as I possibly could be, to her or as much as she allowed me to be, right now.

We carefully made our way back downstairs. I could feel that she had gained more of her strength. She was recovering rapidly. As we reached the kitchen, she smiled.

"Those sandwiches look lovely, Esme." She said. Her voice had also gained a measure of strength.

I led her over to the breakfast room and made sure that she sat comfortably at the table. Rose smiled encouragingly at her.

"You look so much better, Bella. It's good to see the colour coming back to your cheeks." Rose remarked, cheerfully.

She smiled at Rose and watched, as mom brought in a selection of sandwiches, some fruit, orange juice, plates and glasses, to the table. Mom set everything down on the table and set a plate in front of Bella.

"Please help yourself, my dear." Mom encouraged, as she poured out a glass of fresh orange for Bella.

We filled out plates and set about demolishing the food in front of us.

"Where did Emmett disappear too?" Bella asked, a frown on her face.

"He decided to do a work out, followed by a swim. I think he needs to get rid of some excess energy." Rose answered, looking slightly concerned. I could understand exactly how Emmett felt right now. I had the same feeling. But right now, I needed to be with Bella and make sure that she was okay. I could let off some steam later on, when Bella was feeling more at ease.

I decided to let Bella know of Jacob's invitation, for this evening.

"Jacob rang, earlier." Bella looked up at me and smiled.

"Is he okay?" It was just like her to be worried about others, rather than herself. I chuckled at her concern.

"Yes, Bella. He's fine. They all are. Jacob asked if we would like to join them for a get together, down at First Beach later. Would you like to go?"

She hesitated for a moment, finishing her drink and then nodded. "Yes, I would. It would be the ideal opportunity to say thank you, to all of them, properly." She nodded.

"Okay, well Jacob said to meet up at his place at six and then make our way down to the beach, from there. We could stay for an hour or so. It'll do you some good to get some air." She nodded in agreement.

"That's sounds great. Do you think Emmett would want to come with us?" She asked smiling. Her whole demeanour seemed to be improving as we spoke.

"I have no doubt about that. I'll go and look for him in a minute and let him know." I quickly finished my drink and stood to clear the table.

I took all the empty plates and glasses out to the kitchen, returning to Bella, to kiss her cheek.

"I'll be back in a minute, love." She snaked her arms around my waist, as I stood up and hugged me close, her head resting against my stomach.

"Thank you, Edward." She said, simply. I kissed the top of her head and left the room to search for Emmett.

I eventually found Emmett, having a swim. I walked over to a chair and sat down, waiting for him to stop. When he did, he got out of the pool, picking up a towel and began to dry himself off.

"Are you okay, Emmett?" He was not usually this quiet. I actually found it quite unnerving.

He sat down in the chair next to me. "I'm fine, Edward. It's Bella you should be worried about." He stated, towel drying his hair.

"Bella is improving all the time. She's had another sleep and has had something to eat, which is what you should be doing right now. You know you can't go for long without food." I chuckled.

He smiled back at me. "You're probably right. I've been exercising for longer than usual. So, Bella is okay?" He asked.

"Definitely. Rose seems to be rather worried about you. It might be a good idea to go and talk to her. Don't bottle things up, Emmett." He nodded, in understanding.

"Jacob rang earlier. He's invited you, me and Bella down to First Beach with the others. It'll be a good chance to catch up and say thank you to them all." Emmett smiled. This was just what he needed, right now. A chance to hang out with the ones who helped us.

"Excellent idea. What time?"

"Jacob said, to meet up at his place at six and then we'll go down to the Beach from there" Emmett smiled.

"I'll get some beer organised to take down with us. It's the only thing I can think of at the moment."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate that, Emmett." I smiled back at him. We both stood up and made our way out of the Pool Room, to go and get organised.

Once Emmett was dressed, he wandered back into the breakfast room, looking a lot more relaxed. He immediately walked over to Rose, pulling her out of her seat. His sudden action, surprised her. He kissed her on the mouth and hugged her closely. We all smiled at his action. It was all that Rose needed to stop her from worrying about him.

Mom had made another stack of sandwiches and placed them in front of Emmett, as he sat down. We all relaxed into easy conversation, enjoying the change of atmosphere in the room, from a few hours ago.

As quarter past five approached, we got ready to leave for the reservation. We said our goodbyes to mom and Rose and popped our heads around dad's office door, to inform him, as to where we were going. At first dad looked a little concerned with regard to Bella, but when he saw how much she had already recovered, he nodded his agreement, that the air would do her good.

Bella and I, made ourselves comfortable in the back seat of the Jeep as Emmett brought the vehicle to life and we headed off for the reservation.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note;** Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will now go and construct the next part of this chapter which will be their time spent with Jacob and the rest of the rescue team. In the meantime, it would be great if you would review. Take care.


	56. Chapter 56

**Author's note; **First off, I would like to apologise to all of you who think that I might be forgetting about this story. Far from it. The way the story is at the moment, it takes a lot more thought and deliberation, to make sure that it is going in the direction that I want to take it. Many thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter and to those of you who have added this story to their Favourites/Story Alert lists and for adding me to their Favourite Author lists. This chapter is all about saying thank you and celebrating. Jacob fans can smile, Edward fans can be proud. We have Bella's POV and then Edward's POV. We can all go Ahhh by the end of the chapter. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twilight but I did think of this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Sunday continued

**Bella POV**

I snuggled into Edward's side, resting my arm around his waist, as we travelled to Jacob's house. It felt very strange to be doing this journey again. The last time I had, was Friday afternoon, after Jacob and I had lunch together, at the diner. It felt like such a long time ago, now. I began to feel the tension rise in me, as we approached the place where James had stopped me. I gripped Edward a little firmer, which didn't go unnoticed. He wrapped his arm a little tighter around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head, which helped me to relax. As soon as we drove past the spot, I let out a small sigh of relief.

When we pulled up at Jacob's place I felt a lot better. Jacob was already standing outside, with Sam and Seth, waiting for us. When the Emmett brought the car to a stop, Jacob immediately walked over to us, opened the back passenger door and shook hands with Edward, as he got out. Edward turned and held out his hand for me to take, in order to help me out of Emmett's hulk of a car.

I could see the eagerness on Jacob's face, his dark brown eyes scanning my face. He had obviously been very worried about me. At least now he could stop worrying.

As I stepped down from the Jeep, Jacob stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me, enthusiastically. I noticed that Edward gave a wry grin in our direction and then headed with Emmett, over to Sam and Seth, to greet them.

I kissed Jacob's cheek."Thank you, Jake." I whispered. I really couldn't think of anything else to say.

"It was nothing, Bella." He said gently, resting his chin on the top of my head. "There was no way that we wouldn't have helped, to find you. I was just glad that I managed to get enough of us together for the job." He released his grip on me and stood back, resting his hands on my shoulders, searching my face again.

"You're really sure, that you're okay? You still look a bit pale." His concern for me, etched on his face.

I nodded. "Really I am, Jake. Now, please stop worrying." I ordered, making him smile. He wrapped one arm around my shoulders as we walked over to where Sam and Seth were waiting. I reached up to both of them kissing their cheeks and saying my thanks.

"It was nothing, Bella." Sam responded. "We were just pleased, that we could help." He added.

"Hey, Jake. We have beer to take with us to the beach, courtesy of Emmett and Edward!" Seth said, beaming.

"Thanks fo that." Jacob nodded to both Edward and Emmett. "The rest of the guys are going to meet us down there." He added.

"Okay, well why don't you ride with us. There's plenty of room in my car." Emmett's offer was immediately accepted.

We got back in the Jeep and made ourselves comfortable for the short journey.

Once the Jeep was parked, Emmett, Sam and Seth took charge of carrying the beer supply down to the beach while Edward and Jacob walked with me. I felt as though I had my own set of security guards, with the two of them walking either side of me. Edward held my hand tightly, as Jacob stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. It took us a little longer to reach the spot where everyone had gathered. Edward and Jacob, thoughtfully slowed down to my pace. My legs were aching but I was determined to join in and thank everyone. I looked over to where everyone was gathered, around a blazing bonfire, the orange and yellow flames, dancing in the sea breeze.

I was amazed at how many people had gathered; there had to be at least thirty people. Jacob introduced me to the other members of the search party. I shook hands with them all and thanked them. Each one said how glad they were able to help and that everything had turned out as it had. We settled down on some large rocks and tree stumps that were haphazardly arranged into two semi circles, around the fire. A large pile of driftwood was stacked up close by the side of a large rock next to the fire, ready to keep it fed.

The beers were quickly, shared around. The atmosphere, very relaxed. Apparently the details of the search party's success had spread around the reservation, faster than the Spanish flu. The large gathering this evening, was due to the fact that as many people as possible wanted to hear the story for themselves and celebrate the successful outcome. The men were heroes in the eyes of the rest of the reservation and it seemed especially, in the eyes of the single girls. As I sat down on a large tree trunk, some six foot long and half buried in the sand, Edward and Jacob, flanked me once again. I noticed a couple of very pretty girls standing in a small group, looking over to Jacob every so often. They were trying to attract his attention, but Jacob was too busy explaining to all of us the ins and outs of how the search began.

"So, of course, when we realised that there was nothing in that area of the forest, we started looking over towards the stream area." Jacob continued, in full flow.

"It wasn't until Seth, mentioned the trail leading up to the old shack and then finding Bella's car, that we realised that we had a chance of finding her." I looked over to Seth, who was sitting opposite me, and smiled at him. The grin on his face told me how pleased he was, that he remembered the shack and had a hand in helping the search party, to not give up.

"When we walked up the rest of the trail and found that the shack was still standing, I could hardly believe it. Sam said that it probably wouldn't be there anymore, but there it was, still standing." He stopped for a moment and took another sip of his drink.

"So, tell us how you came up with the idea, to get the guy out into the open?" A voice from the gathering asked. Everyone fell silent as Jacob took up the story once again.

"It was Seth who came up with the idea. Thank God, someone was thinking straight, just then. He came up with the idea to go into the forest and do our wolf calls." My eyes widened at the new piece of information. As yet, Edward and I had hardly had the time or energy to go through all of events of the rescue. I listened on intently.

"Edward and Emmett took up their positions, ready to get Bella out of the shack, once the guy was out of the way." He continued.

Another voice in the crowd called out. "Weren't you worried about the gun, Jake?" Jacob nodded, reflectively.

"Of course we were. When I took a closer look into the shack, earlier on, I could see the gun on the table. I wasn't surprised that he had one, though. So, we all knew what we were dealing with. When we started calling out, it was one of those moments when you really didn't have a clue, if the noise would make him sit tight or draw him out, to where _we_ wanted him to be." He smiled.

"He obviously got spooked. As soon as Sam gave the signal, that he was standing on the edge of the forest, all we had to do was draw him in, a little further. It was simple after that. There were too many of us, even though he was armed. At first when the gun went off, I thought that one of _us_ had been hit. Sam grabbed the gun while it was still in the guy's hand and managed to twist his arm, trying to get him to drop it. The fool shot his own leg. I couldn't have planned that, if I'd tried." He chuckled to himself.

Emmett gave Sam a couple of congratulatory slaps on the back. They were sitting next to each other and they both downed another mouthful of beer. It was a good to see the mutual respect that all the men had for each other, borne out of this whole event.

"With all that going on, Edward and Emmett were able to get into the shack and get Bella out of there." Sam added, noticing that Jacob had gone silent and was staring blankly into the fire. "You should've seen the idiot struggle and try to fight us. It was like he was possessed or something. He didn't stand a chance, there were too many of us, but he didn't give up trying to get back to the shack. He was shouting and swearing, even though he was injured. The Police got there a little while later with Dr. Cullen. The Doc checked him over and patched him up, well enough to get him into the cruiser. That was him dealt with." The silence was suddenly broken by a few people calling out.

"Well done." said one voice.

"We're proud of you." said another.

Another simply let out a howl and one by one the men began to stand up and respond. Each one had their own unique sound. My spine tingled at the sound, reminding me of that evening, but now that I knew that the wolf howls that I heard, were those of the the search party, I was even more proud of them than before. They had been so brave and determined. If they hadn't found me when they did, for all I knew, James may have decided to take me to South America by now. I shut my eyes breifly and pushed that thought out of my head.

As the howling faded, laughter and banter, between everyone, ensued.

**Edward POV**

I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist and pulled her into my side, a little closer. She seemed to shiver slightly when Jacob and the guys began to howl to each other. I realised that the sound had reminded Bella, of the time that she was rescued. She was being extremely brave and I felt very proud of her that she wanted to meet everyone the way that she had, this evening.

Jacob had basically spent the whole time since we arrived at the beach, at her side. I was grateful for the fact that he did care about Bella, the way he did. It might have been a different scenario if Emmett and I, had not had the help we needed that night. If Jacob hadn't cared for Bella, like he did, would she even be here now, in my arms? Would she have ended up being taken to South America by the grief stricken, mad man? Or even worse? I forced the thought out of my head. None of it happened and we could rightfully celebrate, this evening.

When the guys stopped serenading us with their howling, everyone eased into the relaxed atmosphere. I watched as Emmett, Sam and Seth shared a joke or two and sharing their ideas as to what should happen to James, now that he was in custody. James would eventually have to face, whatever sentence would be imposed on him. As long as he was out of harms way, as far as Bella was concerned, that was all I was worried about. Thinking about her having to face him at the trial, was something we would have to deal with, nearer the time.

I watched Jacob as he interacted with various people and mingled with the crowd. He turned a couple of times in our direction, looking over at Bella. His look was one of concern more than anything else and presumably relief, that his friend was okay.

As the light began to fade and twilight drew in, I could feel Bella, leaning heavily into my side. When I looked down at her, she could hardly keep her eyes open. It was definitely time for us to make our way home. I managed to attract Emmett's attention, without disturbing my half asleep, beauty. Emmett shook hands with just about everyone and Jacob came over towards me and Bella, to say goodbye. Once again, I gathered her up in my arms and stood to say goodbye to everyone.

"D'you mind if I say goodnight to Bella?" I shook my head, not really understanding what he had in mind. He quickly leaned forward and kissed her forehead. I shut my eyes for a second, at this show of affection. I don't think Bella even felt it, as she seemed to be fast asleep in my arms. I think Jacob's intention was say goodbye to her, the way he needed to. It was more for his benefit, than for hers.

We made our way back to the car and once we were settled in, Emmett got us back to the house swiftly.

As I carried Bella into the house, mom crossed us in the hallway, as she came out of her office.

"What's the matter with Bella? Is she okay?!" She asked anxiously, in a hushed tone.

"Bella's okay, mom. She just fell asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake her, just to come home." I reassured her. Her face relaxed and she smiled, kissing Bella on her temple.

"You take her upstairs and I'll get some coffee on. I spoke to Alice and Jasper, while you were out. See you in a minute." She smiled and turned, to head for the kitchen. I assumed from that small piece of information and the smile on her face, that everything was okay.

I took Bella up to our room, carefully. As I laid her down on the bed, she stirred from her sleep just enough, that I was able to undress her completely, without having to move her about awkwardly. I slowly covered her up with the sheet. I felt like a complete lothario, gazing at her naked body. She was just so beautiful and even though I knew and understood that she would need time to recover, I just hoped that it wouldn't be too long before the whole incident would be far enough behind her, that she would want me again, in the way that she did only a few days ago. I mentally chided myself for thinking so selfishly. Rest was what she needed right now and for the next few days, she would be getting, exactly that.

I tucked the comforter around her sleeping form, silently left the room and made my way back downstairs.

Everyone had gathered at the breakfast table, drinking coffee and enjoying a slice of mom's homemade, chocolate swirl cake.

"So, I take it you told Alice the news, mom? How did she take it?" I asked, as I settled myself down and poured myself a coffee. Mom cut me a slice of cake and pushed the plate towards me.

"Yes, she was obviously shocked, that was to be expected but she actually said that she had had a strange dream last night. Apparently she dreamt that Bella was in some sort of danger but she knew that she would be okay because some wolves drove the man away. When I explained everything that had happened, I was thankful that she didn't have a brake down. It seems that we have our own little psychic in the family." She smiled and poured dad out another cup of coffee.

"As long as she's okay. I know how much Bella worries about her and the twins. What did Jasper have to say about the whole thing?" I asked, sipping at my coffee.

"Well, with all of his experience in Court, he offered to take Bella through the whole process for us. Of course he won't dicuss it with her until she's fully recovered. He said that he doesn't want to cause her any set back in her progress so far, but he's there if any of us, have questions. Edward, you and Emmett will of course be called as witnesses, as will Jacob and the rest of the search party. He said that his firm will be on hand if any of them have any questions or need advice when the the time comes." Mom looked at Emmett and me to make sure that the information had been digested.

"That's great mom. I want to do as much as possible for all of them. After all, if it were not for them, Bella could be absolutely anywhere right now." I said, somberly.

Mom nodded thoughtfully and then added. "The Police rang earlier. They won't have Bella's car ready until tomorrow, now. So, they will drop it off sometime during the day tomorrow, with Bella's phone. I'll leave a note for Angela, in her office, so if you do decide to go out, she can take delivery of the car keys and the phone."

"Right, Edward." Dad began. "I rang the hospital and explained the situation, as fas as you're concerned, and they agreed that you should have the rest of the week off, on compassionate grounds. I think it would be a good idea if you both stay here for a couple of days before travelling back to the city. The sooner Bella gets back to some kind of routine, the better. Mom has suggested that we get a temporary cook in for now, so that the family's routine can continue. I know that Bella has another cake to work on and knowing her as we do, I'm quite sure that she will want to turn her attention back to that task, as soon as possible. So, that's all, we as a family, want her to worry about for now. Mom will talk to Jess tomorrow. I'm not too sure how that will go but obviously the Police will be contacting her for as much information as possible.

We just want her to know that we are there for her and that she need not worry about her job. We want to keep her on, as long as she wants to continue working for us. So, I think that just about covers all of what we've discussed today. It might be a good idea if we all get to bed now. We'll be heading back to Seattle in the morning, Edward. If you have any problems or worries you only have to pick up the phone, Okay?" Dad looked around the table. Everyone nodded and looked over to me, expectantly.

"Well, I'm just grateful that everything has been worked out. Thank you, all of you. I'll explain everything to Bella in the morning." I stood from the table and went over to Rose and kissed her goodnight. Emmett stood up and gave me one of his more gentler, brotherly hugs. Mom, hugged me as only a mother can.

"Make sure you look after her, Edward. Either you or Bella will need to contact her parents in the morning. They need to be told what's been going on. Don't forget that this will no doubt be fairly big news, as far as the media is concerned. They need to be told before they read it in the papers." I nodded, thoughfully. With everything that had been going on, that necessary undertaking, would have to be done, first thing in the morning.

Dad pulled me into a firm hug, as I shook his hand and we wished each other a goodnight. I took a couple of bottles of water from the fridge, as I walked through the kitchen, to take with me for the night.

I made my way upstairs, wearily. The events of the last few days were catching up on me. In a matter of minutes, I was undressed and ready for bed. I carefully got into the bed, disturbing Bella, as little as possible. She was in a deep sleep but even though, once I had made myself comfortable, next to her, she rolled over onto her side and rested her hand on my chest, having gravitated toward me once again. I sighed contentedly.

My life had never been so happy, since Bella had joined our family. It was difficult for me to remember, how we had ever coped, before she arrived. She made me feel complete in every sense of the word. I was the luckiest man in the world and I would do anything and everything, in my power, to make Bella happy.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note;** I hope you liked this chapter. Bella seems to be recovering from her ordeal well and I am in no doubt with Edward looking after her, things will get back to normal in more ways than one. Until the next time from CW world, take care of yourselves and each other.


	57. Chapter 57

**Author's note;** Finally I have managed to put together another chapter. It is a little late due to the fact that I have been ill. With scrambled eggs for brains, it is very difficult to make sense out of anything. Many thanks to all of your who reviewed the previous chapter and to those of you who have recently put this story on your Favourites/Story Alerts lists. You made me smile when I felt at my worst. This chapter deals with the way that Bella is finally getting to grips with recovering from her ordeal. The fact that it includes a lemon, will tell you that's she's doing okay. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own Twlight but I do own this story.

**COOK WANTED**

Monday

Not long after I woke up, Edward came into the bedroom with a breakfast tray.

I smiled at him as he walked across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed with the tray on his lap, while I adjusted myself and sat up in bed, pulling the comforter up to cover my naked torso. Her had obviously been up for a while. I could smell the fresh scent of his shower gel and he was fully dressed.

He set the tray on my lap and took the extra cup of coffee and set it on his nightstand.

"I take it you've had breakfast?" I asked looking down at the tray set for one.

"Yep. I had breakfast a while ago with the family." He reached over to me and kissed my cheek as he made himself confortable on the bed beside me. "Rose has taken my car back to Seattle. We'll have your car back today to use, while we stay here." I raised my eyebrows at him. This was new information.

"Sorry, you were asleep when we got home last night. Dad organised for me to have the rest of this week off work. He suggested that we stay here for a few days while you catch up on your rest." I nodded as I listened, enjoying my toast.

"Mom spoke to Alice and Jasper, yesterday." I looked over to him, with raised eyebrows once again. "Alice is fine, Bella. Apparently she had a dream about you being in some sort of danger but then you were rescued by wolves. I've come to the conclusion that Alice is just slightly weird." He smiled. "And when she has dreams like that I think we might very well, have to listen to her. Anyway Jasper has volunteered his and his firms services to everyone concerned, including Jacob and the rest of the search party." I nodded understanding what that conversation would have been about. Going to court.

"Mom will be contacting Jess today. She's going to need the family's support as well. No doubt the Police will want to interview her to see if she can add any information that might be relevant." He took another mouthful of his coffee.

"She'll be heart broken, Edward." I managed to whipser.

"I know, Bella. There's not a lot we can do about that apart from reassure her that she won't lose her job. I'm sure she'll get over the shock once she hears the truth about the whole incident. I'm relieved that she didn't get anymore involved with him than she did." He was right of course.

I finished my breakfast and really did feel very much better for it. I seemed to be getting my appetite back. Edward seemed very pleased that I had eaten everything and smiled at the empty tray, removing it from my lap and carefully reaching down to place it on the floor next to his side of the bed.

He took my hand in his and kissed the back of it. "What would you like to do today, Bella? We could go for a walk if you want. The weather isn't too bad, as long as you wrap up. Or we could just stay at home. Oh, one thing we do need to do is ring your parents." I looked down at the bed blankly. How on earth could I begin to explain what had a happened to me over the last few days? I just didn't know where to begin.

It seemed that Edward sensed my panicked state. He kissed the back of my hand again, reassuringly. "I'd be quite happy to do that for you, Bella. I'll explain that you just need a little more time to recover and then you can talk to them another day." I nodded to him. That felt like the best way to handle the situation. I really wasn't ready for the twenty questions routine that was bound to happen.

"Right, I'll go down and use the phone in dad's office. You get yourself ready for the day and I'll see you downstairs in a little while, okay?"

I nodded to him and reached over to kiss his cheek. He had been absolutely amazing over the last few days. I was really proud of him. And he had been so patient with me.

I knew that being able to cope with the whole incident would have been down to his training and how much he loved me but I just couldn't help feeling that he had done more than any man would have.

I watched him as he left the bedroom, taking the tray with him and I prompty got up and made my way to the bathroom, got myself ready, dressed and made my way downstairs. As I reached the kitchen, Angela was preparing another pot of coffee for us. She turned to me and gave me a sypathetic smile.

"How are you feeling, Bella? Would you like another cup?" She asked, gesturing a cup towards me. I nodded. I certainly needed all the help I could get with waking up this morning.

"The workmen are coming by today. They have one or two things to do to the attic rooms. Apparently Alice has finally decided on the colour scheme for the nursery. I'll make sure that they're out of the way and don't stay too late while you're here." She poured out another cup of coffee for me and poured one for herself. "I'll leave you to get on now, Bella. I'll make some lunch about one o'clock if that's okay? Relaxing is all you need to worry about right now. Don't even think about doing anything else, okay?" I nodded. I wouldn't dream of crossing Angela.

I sat for a while in the breakfast room, looking out onto the garden and the forest beyond. I was completely lost in my own thoughts. I didn't hear Edward enter the room.

"I've spoken to your mom, Bella." I nearly jumped out of my skin as he spoke. He reached forward and wrapped his strong arms around my shoulders. My heart beat so fast in my chest that I had to take a few deep breaths.

"Are you okay, Bella. I didn't mean to frighten you." He said softly, kissing my temple.

I shook my head and then finally spoke. "It's okay, Edward. I was a little too lost in my thoughts."

"What were you thinking about, Bella?" I smiled at him to placate him. Now was not the time to talk about James. Although it was still so fresh in my mind, I needed to focus on the fact that I was okay and now safe with my family again and in Edward's arms.

"Could we go for a swim, Edward? It would do me good and I wouldn't be using up too much energy." He nodded.

"That sounds like a great idea, my love. I'll get your bikini and meet you in the pool room." He kissed my cheek and left the room.

I finished my coffee and made my way to the pool room. It was lovely and warm and very relaxing in there. I sat down on a chair for a moment while I waited for Edward.

When he joined me he was already changed, carrying my robe and bikini over his arm. He handed them to me and I quickly made my way to one of the changing cubicles in the corner of the room.

In minutes I was ready. I made my way over to the ladder at the deep end of the pool as I secured my hair in a ponytail. Edward was already making the most of the water, swimming the width of the pool.

He made his way over to me, watching me intently. As I lowered myself into the water, he wrapped an arm around my waist from behind. My breath hitched at the close proximity of him. I realised that it had been a few days since he held me so close. I shut my eyes for a moment enjoying his touch. I was beginning to think that somehow it would take me longer than this to respond to him. I had been taking baby steps but now it seemed that I was ready for a slightly larger step. I turned in his arm as he wrapped his other arm around me, holding me in a firm grip.

Even though he had been swimming, I could still smell a hint of his shower gel from his morning shower. I rested the side of my face on his chest, inhaling his scent and relishing the warmth of his body. But that would have to wait.

I looked up at him from under my lashes and kissed his chest.

"Would it be very boring of me to say that I would like to have a swim?" I asked coyly.

He smiled down at me shaking his head from side to side slowly. He slowly released his grip on my waist.

"Absolutely not, go right ahead. You lead and I shall follow." He smiled and watched as I pushed myself away from the end of the pool.

I swam gently down the length of the pool the whole time feeling stronger and more confident. I turned in the water and began to make my way back to the other end of the pool, Edward following close behind.

I swam another two lengths of the pool and then stopped, back at the deep end again. I gripped the side of the pool with outstretched arms, facing the water, watching Edward swim another two lengths. He cut through the water with very little effort, his arms breaking the surface and arching; executing a perfect front crawl. He was beautiful, gliding through the water, causing very little disturbance. Just the rhythmic sound of his arms rising and falling.

He finally made his way over to me, swimming under the surface. When he reached the place I was occupying, he placed his hands either side of my body, gripping the drainage lip, around the edge of the pool, pulling himself up through the water. His head slowly rose up to face mine. The smile he gave me made my stomach flutter and I immediately smiled back at him.

"I've missed that you know." He said gently, focusing his attention on my mouth.

"Missed what?" I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about. It could have been a few things knowing how Edward's mind could work.

"Your smile." He said, simply. "For the last twenty four hours whenever you've smiled, it didn't reach your eyes, this is the first smile that has." He leaned in closer to me. I knew he was going to kiss me and I really did want him too.

He tilted his head slightly to his right, his eyes still focused on my mouth. I shut my eyes as I felt his breath fanning over my mouth. My heart beat faster in response to the nearness of him. As our mouths came together, mine tingled gloriously. It was as if he was bringing me back to life again with that one kiss. The CPR that I needed so much. I felt his torso gently touch mine, the lightest pressure possible.

His lips moved against mine softly. The kiss somehow reminded me of our first kiss. He held back the tidal wave of emotion that was in him then, not wanting to overwhelm me. And this was now the same. He was allowing me to set the pace. Holding back, asking permission and yet ready to give me all that I needed from him as only he could.

I felt my whole body begin to pulsate in response to him. I could feel my cheeks flush slightly and my lips parted without any direct instruction from my brain. My automatic reactions to him were not lost as I thought that they might have been. They had been resting.

As his tongue met mine, his torso pressed closer into mine, affording me the luxury of releasing my hold of the side of the pool and snaking my arms around his neck. I was now totally reliant on him to keep me above water.

I pulled him even closer to me, inwardly pleased that his need for me was so evident. He pressed his hips into mine and I moaned my response into his mouth. His kiss became hungry and determined. We had reached the point where there was no turning back unless I wanted to make him suffer. That was not an option.

I ran my fingers through his hair, once again enjoying the softness and density. I fisted it pulling him closer to me. When I registered that I needed more air, I broke away from the kiss but held him close. My message clear; please don't stop.

His kisses found a new direction, travelling along my jawline and to my neck. He peppered my flesh with kisses.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"Umm hmm." He mummbled against my shoulder.

"Make love to me." I breathed. His face met mine at my words and his eyes gave me the answer I needed. A resounding yes.

Without another word, we made our way over to the ladder, leaving the pool. He took my hand and led me over to where our robes were draped. He found mine first and held it open for me and secured it around me when it was on. He quickly placed a towel on the floor for us to step on, in order to dry our feet and quickly pulled his own robe on.

He took my hand and we left the pool room and walked along the hallway, to the stairs. He led the way, gently up to our room.

Once our door shut with a satisfying click, shutting out the rest of the world, he took my robe off, letting it fall to the floor. My bikini followed suit. Our eyes held each other captive, the whole time.

He began to take off his robe but I stepped forward and took over. I let his robe drop to the floor and then slid my hands between his hips and the waistband of his swim shorts. I gently pulled them down as far as my arms would reach, without having to disconnect our gaze. His shorts, still heavily saturated, slid down his legs without any help.

I took his hand in mine and half turned in the direction of the bed. He deftly stepped out of his shorts and followed me.

I crawled up onto the bed, pulling him with me. As he positioned himself between my legs, I cupped his face and pulled his face closer to mine.

"I want you Edward. Make love to me, please?" He needed no further encouragement. The tidal wave broke free and once again his mouth was on mine. No longer hesitant and soft. He was now urgent and forceful. His hands travelled the length of my body as if they were re-tracing all too familiar terrain. I writhed beneath him, my body tingling in response to his touch. I could feel my arousel building. My internal walls that had twitched sporadically, fast becoming a rhythmic pulse.

He tasted so good. He smelt so good. My fingers tingled as they traced up and down his back, feeling his muscles tense and relax as he moved against my body.

I was coming home fast. I had been desperately missed and now I was being welcomed back.

I lifted my legs, bending them at the knee. With that simple movement he broke away from our kiss and looked into my face.

"I love you, Bella. More than words can say." And in his next breath he entered me. I shut my eyes at the sensation. Everything in me, jolted back to life. The rush of energy that surged through me, made me feel every individual pulse within me, quicken.

My first high coursed through me as he set a gentle pace. I held him close enough to kiss his chest and yet see the enjoyment on his face. He had been so patient with me. Never leaving my side for longer than was necessary. Seeing to my every need and yet holding back his need of me.

This was his reward. He deserved all of me and now I was able to give it to him, once again.

"God, how I missed you, Bella." He whispered, kissing my face.

I lifted my legs further and wraped them around his hips. Our response to the depth he reached was immediate. He groaned into my neck and I gripped him tighter around his chest. Each small orgasm that coursed through me, retrurned again more intensly. I looked up at his face to see his eyes firmly shut with the pleasure of feeling my body respond to him.

The next high that enveloped me, made the muscles in my thighs begin to quiver. His groans became more rhythmic and urgent as his pace increased. I felt him fill every minute space inside me. I could feel the the final orgasm building and taking over my body.

"Oh, please." I begged. "Please, come with me." I wanted to feel complete again. I needed to know that we were no longer separated as we had been for the last few days.

His last few thrusts told me all I needed to know. His mounting orgasm pushed my own forward, both surging toward the edge. I bit into his shoulder as I felt the last thrust and my walls clamped around him, finally pushing us over the edge.

We didn't let go of each other for a while. Both riding out the wave of pleasure. Even after his movements stopped, I held him close. There was nowhere in the entire world I wanted to be right now other than here, with Edward in my arms.

I was home. My mind and body finally reconnected and in tune with Edward.

Still connected, he rolled our bodies over to rest on our sides. I nuzzled my face into his warm chest, kissing him and smiling to myself.

Everything that had happened with James, had not been erased. It couldn't be. But it was now firmly put into perspective. I was okay. And with the the love and support of my family and the depth of love that Edward had for me, I knew I would be able to get back to my life again. The sooner the better. My mind was made up.

"Edward?" I said, slightly louder than a whisper.

"Yes." He answered, tilting his head back to look into my face attentively.

"I want to go back to Seattle tomorrow. I have a cake to finish and I want to see Alice." He smiled at my words.

"Of course, my love. I'll chase up the return of your car, if it hasn't already been returned and we'll head back tomorrow." He answered. I was relieved that he had taken my words seriously.

"Thank you, Edward." I whispered and reached up to kiss his lips.

"You have absolutely nothing to thank me for, Bella. I love you and I will do anything to make you happy." He replied.

I caught sight of the clock on his nightstand.

"It's nearly one o'clock. Angela will have lunch ready for us. I suppose we had better go downstairs." I said, a tinge of reluctance in my tone.

"It won't matter if were a couple of mintues late. She'll understand." He answered with a grin on his face.

I hugged him closer to me again, relishing our reconnected relationship and once again looking forward to our future together. The world could wait a few more minutes.

It wasn't going anywhere without us.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It took me longer than usual to write but I got there in the end. So while I go away and think about the next chapter you can reward my efforts, of finally pulling coherent words from my brain, to good use and hit the green button below. Take care, until next time.


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